You'll Probably Go To Heaven
by NeutralStripes
Summary: Lincoln is stuck taking care of all his younger sisters while his parents are away. Meanwhile, Lisa turns Lori to a teenager and Lincoln has to make sure she turns back before their parents return. Age Change.
1. Chapter 1

**I have no idea where I'm going with this but let's see what happens. Lincoln is the oldest siblings (still 11) and all his sisters are younger. The oldest sisters are now about Lola and Lana's age. It's a bit confusing but i don't care anymore. Enjoy.**

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"Make sure you guys eat. Go to bed on time. And if anything happens, make sure you call us?" Mom said worryingly

"I know, mom," Lincoln said with an awkward smile. His head was held high and his hands behind his back. All his sisters lined up beside him, silent and still.

Dad came out of his room with two large and heavy luggage bags. His noodle arms tugged and pulled away as everyone just looked at him. When he made it to the open door, he sighed in relief. He placed his firm hands on his back and straightened himself out. He groaned and hissed.

"Alright, Champ," Dad started. "We'll be on our way now. You're in charge of your sisters while we're away so take care of them, got it?"

"I know, Dad. I know," Lincoln's face twisted. He sunk a sharp nail into his thumb and focused on the pain.

"There's money on the counter. Use it only for emergencies. Or food," Dad said.

"Okay," Lincoln said.

"Make sure you lock the doors at night," Mom said.

"I know,"

"Make sure you clean up after yourself," Dad said.

"Okay,"

As their parents carried their own bags out the door, the door slowly closed behind them. Mom stopped and peered her head in.

"And please, _please_ make sure you call us if anything happens," Mom said eagerly.

"Don't worry about it. This house is in safe hands," Lincoln said proudly.

Mom's face scrunched in unknown distaste. She sighed and closed the door. The sound of the rolling luggage bags scratched Lincoln's ears. The car doors opened, closed, then opened and closed again.

The engine started with dry pops and cracks. Lincoln heard the heavy wheels roll out of the driveway, the roaring of the engine grew faint. And even when silence filled the house, Lincoln and the kids stayed lined up for a minute longer.

Lincoln signed and was the first one to break out of the line. All his younger sisters watched and observed him carefully. He walked over to the couch and plopped himself down with a loud groan. He reached for the remote and turned on the TV.

"What do we do now?" Lynn asked.

"Do whatever you want," Lincoln said lazily. The sisters looked at each other quizzically. Lincoln shot up from the couch and turned to them.

"Actually, no!" He shouted. "None of you are leaving this house until Mom and Dad come back, got it?"

His sisters mumbled and agreed.

"Good," Lincoln spat out, turning back to the TV with his head aching and his mood already worse.

His parents got a week-long trip to… somewhere. It was a prize his Dad won for getting more sales in his dead end job than any other miserable chump. Lincoln _really_ couldn't care less.

What mattered to Lincoln was a whole week all to himself. In his empty house. Alone.

Or so he thought.

Usually his parents would always take the kids anywhere they went but for some reason Lincoln was left in charge of them this time. He kinda expected that his parents wanted some time to themselves. He couldn't really blame them. Raising ten little girls was stressful as hell but that was their fault. Who knows, they might come back with Loud child number twelve.

Now Lincoln was here, taking care of a bunch of fucking kids he didn't want to take care of for a whole week that was supposed to be his. Whatever. Maybe if he ignored them, he could preserve whatever bits of fun he had left.

Little Luna walked up to the couch and crawled up. She sat next to Lincoln and watched eagerly. Lincoln glared at her and flinched in disgust.

"What do you want?" Lincoln asked.

"Nothing," She looked up at him and her wide eyes met his. "Just spending time with you."

"Ew, no," Lincoln looked at the TV. An old episode of Dump-Star Divers was playing. He growled and looked back at Luna. "Why don't you got play with Leni or something?"

"She's playing dress-up with Lola," Luna said.

"Don't you like that kind of stuff?" Lincoln asked.

"No,"

"Then go use your phone," Lincoln ordered

"It's dead," Luna replied.

"Go play on your guitar,"

"It's broken, remember,"

"Then go play outside."

"You said not to."

Lincoln sighed. Having ten kid sisters was a pain in the ass. When Mom and Dad weren't there to give them attention, they always went to Lincoln for some. And they were persistent too. He would yell at them; they would run away crying but always come back later like nothing ever happened, asking away.

 _Lincoln, wanna play? Lincoln, do you have any jokes? Lincoln, can I borrow this? Lincoln, I can't go to the bathroom, can you help me? Lincoln, I'm scared, can I sleep with you tonight?_

 _Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln_

Fucking parasites, I swear. He never understood why his parents wanted so many kids in the first place. Wasn't Lincoln enough?

"Ugh. What do you want from me?" Lincoln asked.

"Nothing," Lori answered.

"Then leave me alone,"

"But I'm bored,"

"And _I'm_ annoyed. Now beat it before I actually kill you," Lincoln turned back to the TV and began flipping through the channels aimlessly.

Luna looked up at him in shock. Her wide ocean blue eyes and her mouth hung. Then she got mad. Her brows furrowed and her head boiled. She crossed arms, hunched over and buried herself into the couch. Her cheeks puffed and body was firm. Lincoln noticed.

"I said _leave_ ," Lincoln ordered.

"No, dude," Luna said with a cute squeak in her voice. Lincoln was brought back by her sudden snap. None of his sisters ever talked back to him. But he'd expect as much from Luna. She was the fourth oldest but the biggest pain.

Lincoln turned to her and his hand balled tightly around the remote. His head ached and his patience wore thine.

"You piece of shit," Lincoln growled. "I said go."

"And I said no," Luna said boldly.

Lincoln wanted to hit her. He did it once before and it was a big mistake. He didn't feel bad or anything but the awful screeching of his sister's crying tore his ears apart. Her face grew red and her tears were fat. It took, like, an hour for her to stop.

And when Luna was done, she was left as a whimpering mess. Her sisters tried to cheer her up and make her feel better but Lincoln just glared at her. He was making sure they all knew who was the boss. He never apologized, never brought up the matter to his parents and, eventually, it just became an incident that even his sisters couldn't remember.

Lincoln wanted to get up and leave. He wanted to go to his room and chill out there but then she'd win. And the one thing he hated more than his sisters was his sisters one-upping him. He sighed, pushed his anger aside and focused on the TV.

"Fine," he mumbled.

"Fine," she mumbled back.

There's was nothing good. Old movies, cringy cartoons, reruns, and commercials non-stop. He flipped on and something caught his eyes.

 _Two Horny Sluts Bang Pool Boy_

He stopped on the channel. The screen was black for a while but then the image of two women sucking on some guy off came on. The man was moaning in delight. He was flat on his back and his head was hung over. The two young woman looked into the camera and continued sucking and licking his erect dick.

They slurped and purred and Lincoln smiled wickedly. He looked over at Luna and her eyes were glued to the screen. Luna's mouth was hung open, her body leaned forward, her mind stopped and her curiosity rose.

"What're they doing?" Luna asked. Lincoln's half lidded eyes stayed glued to the screen, the same ear-to-ear smile etched on his face.

"Don't worry about it," Lincoln replied nonchalantly.

The man cursed softly as the women worked on him. Next thing she knew, one of the women was on her back, her legs parted like an M and she waited patiently.

Then the man started… hitting her?

No, it was more like slamming against her. She cursed and cried out. Luna swore that she was watching a horror movie.

"What's he doing to her?" Luna asked worriedly.

"Killing her," Lincoln said easily.

Luna grew sick to her stomach.

"I-I don't wanna watch this anymore," Luna said with a wobbly voice.

"Then leave," Lincoln said. And she did. She went running up stars with her tail between her legs. Lincoln watched her go from the couch, a devilish smirk on his face. He turned back to the TV and then noticed the tent in his pants.

He undid his belt and his hand snaked through the band of his underwear.

 _Might as well deal with it now_ , he thought hungrily.

When he was done, he took a shower and got the food ready. Mom left some spaghetti in the fridge (since it was the easiest thing to make in the last minute) and Lincoln just needed to warm it up.

He took out the bowl of spaghetti and placed it on the table. Mom said to microwave it but Lincoln felt like it severely dulled the taste. Instead, he turned on the stove and reheated it that way. When it was nice and warm, he called down his sisters.

"Hey, idiots! Come down here!" He shouted then softly said, "Food's ready."

His sisters came down one by one. He grabbed some plastic plates and threw a handful of warm spaghetti onto it. He handed it out, got another plate and did the same thing until everyone was served.

He looked at the table and there was two plastic plates left. He looked at his sisters and noticed two were was missing.

"Where's Lisa and Lori?" Lincoln asked, his brow raised.

"Lori's in her room," Lola spoke up. "And Lisa's probably doing some science stuff."

Lincoln slammed the bowl and spoon down on the counter. The clattering rang like thunder and Lincoln shot up from his seat.

"Science stuff my ass," Lincoln marched out of the dining room, all his sister's eyes were fearfully on him. He didn't give a shit about Lori. She was probably doing something dumb but Lisa ticked him off the most.

It's like every other day there's something blowing up inside her lab. She brushes it off as a failed experiment but Lincoln's always the one that's left cleaning it up.

Not this time, though. Lincoln climbed up the stairs and turned the corner. He reached Lisa's room and opened the door violently. The door slammed against the wall.

Lincoln looked inside and saw his genius sister jump with fear. Her back was turned against him. The metal table in front of her shook and the glass tubes clattered dangerously. Her tense shoulders feel and she turned sharply. Her eyes were slitted and deadly.

"What the hell is your problem?" Lisa said quickly, a hint of bitterness in her tone. When she saw Lincoln, her face fell. Her teeth clenched and her eyes rolled. She turned back to the table and fiddled around. Lincoln ignored her little act of disrespect.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lincoln asked.

"Nothing," Lisa said, her voice monotone and forced.

"Yeah, right," Lincoln walked over to her little table. "What's all this then?" Lincoln said, pointing at the colored substances and scattered papers.

"Work," Lisa answered.

"Alright," Lincoln started. "I'm in charge and I'm not letting you to do anything science related 'til Mom and Dad come back."

Lisa spun around, her eyes widened and her heart skipped.

"What," Lisa said in shock. "You can't do that."

Lincoln looked over her, trying to be intimidating.

"I just did," Lincoln growled. "Now, go down and eat your dinner. It's getting cold."

Lincoln was walking out the door but stopped when he walked out. He turned around and looked at the angry little genius. He smiled a little but pushed his joy aside.

"And where's Lori?" Lincoln asked.

"Bathroom," Lisa answered. She was casually putting all her stuff away, a smile stretched across her face. "She's been in there for a while now. I didn't expect it to last this long."

"What are you talking about?" Lincoln asked, his brow raised and his eyes darting over Lisa.

"Nothing," Lisa said cheerfully, mockingly.

Lincoln rushed over to the bathroom door and tried turning the knob. It was locked. He banged his heavy fist against the door and called out.

"Lori," Lincoln shouted, a weird dose of concern running through his mind. "Lori, you in there."

Lincoln pressed his ear against the cold wood and listened carefully. He heard faint whimpers and gasps coming from the other side. He knocked and called again.

"Open the damn door, twerp!"

He called again but got no response. He cursed. Did Lisa fuck her up? No, he was worrying too much. His sisters would never hurt each other. He needed to open the door. And he knew how but he didn't like doing it cuz it kind of ruined the door. He just needed to turn the knob and yanked the door at the same time with enough force for it to open.

He did it once but it didn't work. He didn't again but nothing. When he yanked the door another time, it flung open freely. He called out to Lori with sudden panic. He looked at the bathroom floor and his heart skipped a beat.

In the middle of the the bathroom floor was a naked woman, her back facing Lincoln. Her silky, blonde hair ran down to her shoulders. Lincoln's eyes roamed down the defined edges of her back, lower and lower. Her plump ass burned his cheeks when he looked way longer than he wanted to.

Lincoln heard the woman whimpering and sniffling softly. The woman rose her head and turned around. Her sky blue eyes met Lincoln's. Her eyes were red and puffy with tears, lost and pained at the same time- like a deer.

"Lincoln," her voice was gentle and warm. It made the boy's heart flutter. "It hurts."

"Lori?" Lincoln asked and she nodded.

"Wow," Lisa said at his side. Lincoln jumped and gasped. "It worked perfectly."

"W-what did you do to her?" Lincoln looked back at Lori.

Lori's fingers moved carefully, clutching and relaxing. Her toes wiggled and her feet moved slowly. Lori raised her palm to her face and observed with a critical eye. She stretched out her arm and looked at the back of her hand. Her hand was open and her fingers were long and boney. Her nose wrinkled at this.

"I quickened the aging process," Lisa said, her hand behind her back and looking on proudly.

"Why?" Lincoln said with a whine. Lisa shrugged with a tiny slash of a smile.

"Curious," was her simple answer. Lincoln grabbed her by the collar and lifted her off her feet. Lisa's heart skipped a beat and she gasped fearfully.

"What the hell is wrong with you," Lincoln shouted, shaking the little girl violently. He stopped but her head kept on spinning. "Turn her back right now," Lincoln commanded.

"I can't," Lisa said through her daze.

"Why not?" Lincoln asked impatiently.

"I'm not allowed to do anything science related," Lisa said mockingly and giggled. Lincoln wasn't laughing. He growled and hot rage boiled in his head. Lincoln placed Lisa back on the ground and she fell flat on her ass.

"Don't act like a smart ass. Fix her right now or I'll fucking turn you into a human pretzel."

Lori laughed.

"Pretzel," Lincoln heard Lori say through her bubbly laughter.

Lincoln tuned to Lori and she was facing them. She sat on her legs, and her hands rested on her full thighs. Her plump breasts pressed together and her pink nipples popped out boldly. Lincoln's eyes widened and he looked away quickly, blocking his peripheral with a hand.

His heart thumped painfully against his chest. He began breathing unevenly and he started panicking. Not only was he scared about Lori's growth but he was also scared that his parents were going to kick his ass. And Lisa wasn't helping either. He was left in charge. He was responsible for this. He should've known that Lisa would do something crazy. He just didn't expect it to be so soon.

Lisa and Lori noticed his unease. Lisa raised a brow and Lori tilted her head a bit. Lincoln doubled over, grabbed onto his chest with one hand and reached out to the air with the other.

"Holy shit," Lincoln managed to breath out. "I think I'm having a heart attack."

Lisa rolled her eyes.

"Oh, relax," Lisa said. "The effects will wear off eventually. Just give it some time."

"H-how long?" Lincoln's voice was rough and scratchy. He was catching his breath and collecting himself. _Stay calm, stay calm,_ he told himself. _Just breath and it'll be okay._

"I don't know," Lisa said.

"What do you mean _you don't know_ ," Lincoln shouted. He wanted to wrap his hands around her throat and give her a good scare. Maybe that'll make her take this more seriously.

"Well, I haven't tested the substance before," Lisa turned to her sister. Her big sister. "So Lori was the first."

"Why?" Lincoln shouted in disbelief. He placed his cold hands on his face and pulled. His blood rushed to his temples and his head felt numb.

"Well, I'm not going to use it on myself, obviously," Lisa chuckled and shook her head as if Lincoln was the stupid one. "Besides, Lori looked out of it when I saw her. I was like _here's a vulnerable young girl who looks lost and gullible enough for me to use._ So, I did."

"You're sick in the head," Lincoln spat. "Couldn't you have used rats or something?"

"Ew, no," Lisa shuddered. "That's gross."

Lincoln sighed and gave up. Lisa was a smart apple. She could do what she wants and create what she wants. Her thinking was incomparable to any human in existence but her rational thinking was that of a… Leni.

She could honestly say " _Hold my apple juice while I fuck around with the fundamental laws of everything,"_ and no one would bat an eye.

"Fine," Lincoln looked back at Lori. Her naked body didn't bother him anymore. "What are we gonna do about her then?"

"We?" Lisa giggled. "You mean _you_. I already did my part. You can take care of the rest." Lisa flailed her hand in the air and waved goodbye. She walked back to her room in a confident stride. Lincoln's jaw and shoulders dropped. His eye twitched and he snapped.

"Hell no," Lincoln barked. "Get your ass back over here, you cunt."

Lincoln sprang up from his spot and ran after Lisa. He grabbed Lisa's wrist tightly and she winced. Lori was scared. Lori never liked it when her siblings fought. Especially Lincoln. He was bigger, stronger and way scarier than any of them.

Was.

"Don't touch her like that," Lori finally spoke up. Her voice was foreign to her own ears. It was more… mature. More deep and angelic than what she was known to.

Lincoln shot his head back to Lori. His eyes were dark and slitted. His teeth were bare and his brows were scrunched in anger. No one _ever_ told him what to do. Not his sisters at least.

"Shut your mouth," Lincoln commanded.

A pang of fear stung Lori's heart but sudden rage and determination ran through her body. She snarled and her brows pinched. She glared back at Lincoln and their eyes clashed.

Lori placed her hands down on the cold tile and pushed herself up with a grunt. Her feet were next. Moving felt clunky and new but Lori managed. Her feet met the floor and she stood tall and mighty. Her hands were on her hips, her body was open and her boobs were free.

It wasn't much of a surprise to Lincoln but he couldn't help flinch when his eyes ran down the space between her legs. He winced and spun around with a blush on his face. His eyes widened again and his heart skipped.

Lisa noticed and smirked.

"She's your sister, you know." Lisa said teasingly. "You shouldn't be acting like that."

"Fuck you," Lincoln spat. "Are you gonna do anything about this or what?"

"Ugh, fine," Lisa yanked her hand away and grimaced at his touch. The first and last time her brother would touch her like that, Lisa promised herself. "Give me twenty minutes. In the meantime, why don't you introduce Lori to the rest of our sisters."

"What?" Lincoln shouted. "No, no way. You're gonna change her back so what's the point?"

Lisa chuckled.

"I never said the effects of the antidote was going to be instantaneous. It will take some time, probably a couple days minimum." Lisa said, grabbing her chin and looking down.

Lincoln groaned.

"Why not?" Lincoln asked. "I mean, you changed her age pretty quickly. Why can't it work the other way around."

Lisa hummed.

"Think of it like this. When you drink water, it goes straight into your mouth and down your stomach but you don't urinate a second later, right? No, you wait and wait. This situation is much like that but _much_ longer."

Lisa began walking away to her room again. Her back was straight and her stride was confident. She held a fist behind her back and with the other, she pushed her glasses back to the bridge of her nose.

"I recommend you try and kill some time while _I_ fix everything," Lisa continued. She was outside her room. She looked back at Lincoln and smirked. "And try not to touch, will you?" Then Lisa slipped into her room like a snake.

Lincoln didn't know what she meant by that. When the boy turned around and saw Lori standing over him like a God, he jumped. Lori laughed at his fear. When Lincoln heard her contagious chuckles, he growled and gently grabbed her wrist.

"Come on," Lincoln said bitterly as he marched down the stairs. When he was at the bottom, he looked around and peeked a head in the dining room. His sister were eating loudly and grossly. He shivered.

When Lincoln looked at Lori, her stray golden locks scratched across her face and her eyes were fixed on him. Her anger subsided and now she was… confused. Where was Lincoln taking her?

Lincoln dragged her across the living room and to his parents room. He pushed her inside and closed the door behind him.

The room was dark. The curtains were drawn and the bed sheets were a mess. A strange smell lingered in the air that made Lincoln wonder what his parents did before they left. He shook his head and pushed the nasty thought away. He walked over to the closet in a swift march.

He opened the slide door and rummaged through the tacky and tasteless clothes. He pushed away the collared polos, button up shirts, and khaki pants. When he dug in deep enough, he pulled out brown cargo shorts. He held it up to his face, touching it with the tips of his fingers.

"Did Mom really wear this?" Lincoln asked himself. He shrugged and tossed it over his shoulder. The shorts landed on Lori's chest and she quickly grabbed it as it slipped down her smooth skin. "Put it on." Lincoln added.

Lori stretched out the brown shorts and looked at it in its entirety. She looked back up at Lincoln.

"I don't have any underwear," Lori said. Lincoln groaned. He bend over and reached for a white drawer. He opened it, stuck his hand in and pulled out solid blue panties. He looked at it, wondering if it was too big on Lori but tossed it over his shoulder anyway. It landed on her face as she was putting on the short. Lori yelped.

"I can't see," She said, voice muffled and panicking.

Lincoln ignored her. He went back to the closet, looking for a shirt. He needed to find something for Lori. Something that wasn't his mom's favorite. But all mom's clothes were her favorite. And if she finds out that someone was messing around in her room, she was gonna throw a fit.

Lincoln concentrated, scanning the line of shirts for a good choice. Then something in the corner caught his eye. He reached for it and pulled out a tank top. It was way too small for mom. And it was such a simple, nasty color: light blue. There was no design. It was old and bland, lacking any spark to it and looking like there was a coat of dust over it. The only place this disgusting article belonged in was the dump.

It was perfect.

Lincoln yanked the tank top off the hanger and brought it up to his face. A satisfied smile touched his face.

"Here, put this on," Lincoln spun around and tried handing Lori the shirt. He froze when he saw Lori with the shorts up to her waist, zipper down and no belt. The panties hung from her shoulder and her hair fell over her face.

Lincoln's mouth was hung and his brow was raised. Lori looked and smiled with an awkward chuckle.

"Help," Lori called out.

Lincoln shook his head. His brows pinched and his eyes stared daggers at Lori.

"No," Lincoln spat out. "You can do it yourself. Lincoln threw her the shirt and it landed on her naked chest."

He walked away from the closet and to the bedroom door. He opened it and walked out but when he closed the door, he opened it again and peared his head in.

"Put on the underwear first, you moron," Lincoln said. "I'll be waiting out here when you're done."

Lincoln didn't wait for a response. He went back out and closed the door again. Lori kept her eyes on the door for a while and when she felt a cold breeze run down her back, she put on the tank top.

It was a bit loose but fine nonetheless. She looked down at her shorts, the rough fabric rubbed against her private parts and made her tickle. She looked for the underwear. When she found it on her shoulder, under one of the straps, she yanked it and held it up to her eyes.

It was blue. Light blue. She liked the color. It matched with her shirt.

She looked past the underwear and looked at her fingers again. They were long and boney. Her nails were long and her sharp knuckles pushed against her rough skin. Her eyes ran down to her wrist then down her arm, she stopped when she saw her large boobs.

She knew she'd get big when she grew up, like mommy's, but she thought that was years away. She only had small lumps before but know they were like… pillows?

She dropped the panties on the floor. Her hands bent and cupped her breasts. She squeezed.

Yeah, pillows.

She flattened her hands under the folds of her boobs and chest. She pushed them a bit, making them bounce on her hand. It was kind of funny but when she started to get into it, a weird sensation ran down her spine. Her chest arched forward and an electric joy pierced her heart.

Her face burned and her breathes were rugged. She let go of her breasts and let them hang out. They split down her chest and she remembered her shorts. Oh, yeah. She needed to change.

Lori reached and pulled her shorts down. A mysterious breeze touched her flesh. She hissed. Something about being naked felt nice or maybe it was the clothes that made her uncomfortable. Her body already felt… rough?

Moving was such a hassle. Back then (about an hour ago) her little body was like a twig. Her arms and legs were noodles. Her bones were weak and her muscles were pretty much non-existent.

But now, her body was large. Lori took note of where everything bent. The joint of her arms, the rise and fall of her muscles, it all made her curious. Her long hair that felt heavy, itchy, and long was annoying. Her heavy chest hurt her back and her meaty thighs and breasts jiggled at the slightest movement.

And the one thing she couldn't get past was her voice. She couldn't quite put a finger on it but it sounds like one of those generic teen, snobby voices she always saw on kids shows. She didn't like it much but it was her voice. It had a certain spunk to it that made her feel powerful.

I mean, did you see the way Lincoln listened to her. When she told him to stop, he did. Probably not at first, but when she got up and showed him how tall she was, that scared him good. Lori protected her little sister and stood up to Lincoln. No one ever did that. To be honest, Lori should've let Lincoln hurt Lisa. It would've been fair. Lisa hurt her too. Lori shook her head. No, it wouldn't be right. Lincoln might've done it, though.

Mom and Dad made sure that every single one of them had to silence to Lincoln cuz _he_ was the oldest. They had to follow his rules cuz _he_ was the oldest. And they always did cuz he was the loudest and strongest. Lincoln was bossy and mean and she didn't know why. But she felt like that was going to change cuz he _wasn't_ the oldest… not anymore.

A creepy smile stretched across her face.


	2. Chapter 2

Lincoln waited near the door. His back was against the wall, his arms crossed and his head down. His mind was racing. He could hear the kids screaming and laughing in his head. The clattering of plates and cups filled the air. He really didn't want to show Lori to everyone else because they'd just make things worse.

Would they freak out?

Doubt it. His sisters already know how Lisa is. They'd make a big deal out of it for five- ten minutes tops, then they'd go on their way doing their own little things. Times like this really made him appreciate his sisters' ignorance and simple mindedness. I mean, it has to be an art for someone to be on your nerves one moment and then played like a fiddle the next.

Dealing with Lori would be the hard part. Getting her to leave the house was obviously forbidden. He didn't want another soul to lay an eye on her, didn't want her name to escape anyone's mouth. As long as Lincoln was concerned, Lori didn't exist. Not until Lisa fixed her.

Lincoln was betting all his hope on Lisa. He needed her to fix Lori before Mom and Dad come back. And the last thing he needed is another stress filled week with hell at the end of it. But it's fine. It's okay because he's been through worse.

Actually, this might take the cake.

All his sisters ever did was annoy him and bother him. It made his head boil and his blood run. They always asked so much from him, took so much from him, and the only thing he ever wanted was a minute of silence. It feels like he hasn't gotten a single moment of peace ever since Lori was born. And even then she was a handful. Now, with all eleven of his younger sisters, he felt drained and lifeless.

He wasn't a kid anymore. That part of his blessed youth was taken from him little by little every time his parents brought home another fucking kid. He had the mind of an adult in a kid's body.

The door beside him clicked and opened. Lori stepped out. A gentle foot snuck out of the room and she crawled out with her head low and back hunched. She closed the door behind her with a light tug. Lincoln raised a brow.

"Are you-" Lincoln began. Lori squeaked out before he could finish. "Okay?"

Lori spun on her heels and faced Lincoln with a needy hand on her chest. Her eyes were wide with shock and her mouth hung. She saw her brother and sighed.

"Oh, God. You scared me." She laughed anxiously. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"And the clothes?" Lincoln asked.

"It's fine," Lori looked down at her loose tank top. The fabric wrapped around her soft skin and brushed against her sensitive nipples. "But I need a big girl's bra." She scratched and tugged at her butt. "And some big underwear too."

"Bra and underwear," Lincoln told himself, juggling the thought in his mind. Did he really need to buy her that stuff? She wouldn't stay like that forever. Buying it would be useless. She just needed to go through the week with her… attire. Lincoln looked at his sisters and noticed her soft nipples pressing against the thin shirt. He blushed. "Okay, fine. We'll go tomorrow."

He turned to the obnoxious chatter. He sighed. He looked at the kitchen for a bit then turned to Lori. She looked down at her brother with a warm smile. Lincoln stared back at her but didn't return the gesture. Whatever. Fuck it.

"Don't say a word," Lincoln hissed. He walked behind the couch and stopped under the stairs. He shot a glance at Lori and noticed she wasn't following. He nodded over his shoulders and Lori got the hint.

They both stopped at the threshold of the dining room. Lincoln took in a shaky breath and mumbled a prayer. He walked into the room. The kids immediately went silent and turned their focus to Lincoln then to Lori.

Luna's eyes widened and she shot up from her chair. Luan and the twins shrunk. Leni gasped and began.

"Linky," Lincoln hated that nickname. "You know how Mom feels about guests. Especially when she's, like, not here."

"Dude, can you probably take her somewhere else," Luna said forcefully. "We can't really have anyone else inside the house."

"Who's that, Lincoln?" Lola asked.

"Probably his girlfriend," Lana tried to mumble but came out loudly just as everyone went silent. Luna's face flushed and dropped. She shot a skeptical glance at Lana, shock running down the rocker's face. Luna then turned her focus back to Lincoln and the girl, her mind racing with the dirty things she saw on the TV.

"Everyone shut up and listen," Lincoln commanded. "I don't want you to freak out or anything but this is Lori. Lisa's been messing around wi-"

"That's not Lori," Leni blurted out. "Lori's way smaller and younger."

Lincoln growled and glared at Leni. He hates being interrupted. He sighed and brushed away his rage. No, now was not the time to get mad.

"Look," Lincoln continued. "Lisa's been messing around with aging or something and turned Lori into an adult. I don't really understand it myself but I really don't care either."

Lincoln walked over to the table, carelessly pulled out an empty chair and passed Lori a knowing glance. Lori walked over to Lincoln and took the seat. She sat between Luan and Luna. They looked at her nervously, their shoulders tense and brows raised. Luna cleared her throat and looked at Lincoln.

"Okay, so what do we do?" Luna asked.

"Nothing," Lincoln said. "Literally do nothing. Just pretend like everything's normal. Lisa's finding a way to fix this so don't worry too much."

Lincoln walked into the kitchen, rattled some dishes, and came out with a plate of spaghetti. He walked over to Lori and set the plate down. He looked around the long table and tried to find empty dishes. He saw Lana and Lucy were done with their food, grabbed their empty plates and wordlessly walked back into the kitchen. The hissing of running water and clattering plates was deafening.

The kids were silent, staring off into space and waiting for Lincoln to come back. Lori looked at the red noodles with a blank stare. She didn't have a fork. Which meant she couldn't eat. What now?

Lori looked up from her plate and looked straight ahead. She met Lana's glance but the little girl looked down at the table. Lori turned to Lynn. The tiny athlete cleared her throat and shoved down her nerves.

"So, how did you end up like that again?" Lynn asked.

"Lisa," Lori answered. "She did something to me but I can't remember what."

"So," Luna spoke up at her side. "Does anything feel… different?"

Lori glowed. A smile stretched across her face and she felt a jump in her chest.

"Oh, yeah." Lori said cheerfully. She raised her arm in front of her, her arm falling limp and her slender fingers dangled like worms. "It feels kinda weird to move but I got kinda used to it. Oh. And I'm _really_ tall. Look,"

Lori scooted the chair back, the wooden legs scrapping on the floor. She lifted her leg but she accidentally kneed the bottom of the table. The wooden table boomed and shook dangerously, making some of the kids jump and others gasp. Lori hissed at the pain. She forgot her legs were longer now.

"Okay, wait." Lori placed the hands on the table and tried lifting herself. She jumped off her chair and balanced herself on her feet. Her stance was wide and her hands out, grabbing on the table for support. She looked like one of those bad guys on those cop shows mom liked watching. You know, when the bad guy's stand in front of the cop car and spread their legs. She looked like that and it made her giggle.

Lori shook her head. No, no laughing right now. She was trying to show he sisters something but she was making herself look dumb. Ugh, it was so much easier a while ago. Moving came naturally. But to be fair, when Lincoln was hurting Lisa, she acted without thinking. Huh, maybe that was it. Just don't think about it.

Lori pushed herself off the table and balanced herself on her feet. She planted her feet flat on the floor and held her arms out cautiously. She waited till she stopped shaking and then stood up tall. She glared off into the distance with the same mad look she gave Lincoln. She placed her hands on her hip and closed her feet together.

Lana and Lola started with shock and awe at Lori's mature look. Luna scanned Lori from head to toe, a brow raised and mild curiosity running through her young mind. Lynn and Luan held their lips closed as they fought back their laughter. Lucy didn't care. Lily was babbling and Lisa wasn't there.

Lori broke from her tough facade, raised a hand to her mouth and began giggling.

"You should've seen Lincoln too. He was so scared of me." Lori added.

Her mind went back to when Lincoln shuttered away from her hellish stare. Well, maybe she wasn't scared of her face but he was definitely scared of her height. When she stood up, Lincoln looked away and did as he was told. She towered over him like a giant and it made her feel strong.

"Lincoln? Scared of you?" Lynn asked with a hint of doubt. Lori nodded with that warm smile still on her face, her locks flailing over her face and shoulders. "Um, I don't think anything can scare Lincoln."

"No, I'm serious," Lori pleaded. "When we were upstairs, I told him to stop picking on Lisa and he listened."

"Have you tried doing it again?" Luan asked.

"No," Lori said innocently. She looked down at her plate and wondered. She gasped as an idea came to her mind. "Okay, watch this."

The kids went silent and kept their eyes on Lori as she walked back to her seat, sat down and straightened out her back. Her eyes were closed and her smile remained. She intertwined her fingers and kept them on the table, mimicking a fancy and polished girl. She cleared her throat and called out.

"Lincoln," she shouted above the running sink. She waited but got no answer. "Lincoln!" She called again, a bit louder. The sink went mute and dishes rattled for a moment. He walked back into the dining room with a small towel in his hands and looked over at Lori.

"Yeah?" the boy asked.

"Can you get me a fork?" Lori requested.

"Huh?" Lincoln looked over at Lori's plate and saw no fork. He gave a meaningless pass and shrugged his shoulder. "Yeah, sure. Wait a minute."

He walked back into the kitchen and the sound of clattering metal danced in the air. He came back with a fork in his hand, walked over the edge of the table and handed it to Lori. She took it with a soft _thank you_ and Lincoln walked back into the kitchen.

The kids stayed quiet with disbelief, Luan gasped and Leni held her hands up to her mouth in shock.

"Oh my God," Lynn mumbled. "You're right."

"See," Lori said with a smug smile. She sank the fork into the noodles, twisted the fork as the points were covered in red and raised the noodles to her mouth. She chewed and swallowed with a blissful hum. "I've got him around a leash."

Lincoln walked out of the kitchen again, marched passed the kids and stopped. Everyone went quiet and kept their eyes on him. He turned around, crossed his arms and looked at the kids with a dangerous scowl.

"Alright, listen up," he growled. "I know a lot of you are worried about Lori, so am I, but that doesn't change anything. I've said it before and I'll say it again, _no one_ is leaving this house till mom and dad are back." Lincoln raised a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. "That being said, some stuff came up so Lori and I are going to the mall tomorrow morning real quick."

All the kids erupted into an uproar of whins and complaints. Lori looked around and sunk into her chair, embarrassment burning the back of her neck. She can safely say, without a doubt, that Lincoln was the most hated sibling amongst them all. Even Lincoln knew that but he didn't care. He hated them too. And whenever he showed any one of his sisters signs of favoritism or interest, they'd get made fun of by the others.

It happened to Luan once. She started practicing dirty jokes so she can get Lincoln to laugh for once. She said jokes about Mexicans, stuff about twenty-five year-olds, and… something else. No one really understood Luan's jokes expect Lincoln. He would giggle at some and wheeze uncontrollably at others but the kids watched hatefully as Lincoln and Luan got closer.

I mean, one would think that there was nothing really wrong with getting closer to Lincoln. Especially since he was so cold and distant, like, all the time. But there was. He would let Luan slide with most of her pranks and annoying jokes. She picked on the other's just to get a reaction from Lincoln and it really bothered all the sisters.

So, one day they all ganged up on Luan and gave her a little scare. Nothing really much. They just called her out and gave her the cold shoulder. That took care of things. Then after that, no one ever tried what Luan tried.

"That's not fair," Lola cried out. "I wanna go too."

"Yeah," Lana cried out. "I wanna hit up the arcade. I heard they brought in a new game."

"What? No. We're not going there to mess around. Lori needs clothes and taking care of you guys is the last thing on my mind." He turned to Luna. She noticed, jumped and looked away bashfully. "Luna's in charge while we're out. You think you can do it, Luna?"

"I-I don't know. I think it'll be better if we all stick together." Luna shrugged and kept her eyes down to the side. "You know, just in case something happens."

"What do you mean _in case something happens_? Just make sure no one leaves the house, it's easy."

Everyone whined again. Lincoln looked at the crowd of his annoying sisters and glared at them. Lynn groaned and rolled her eyes. She put her hand on the table and held her head up in her palm. She pouted and sulked while Lincoln and the others kept arguing.

Lynn really wanted to go with Lana. She wasn't _really_ much of a games fan but one store over was a sports center that she was dying to check out.

Mom and Dad never let her in because there were mostly bulky men buying iron or shady adults trying to buy guns. But she didn't care. She had her eyes on baseball bats, soccer balls, basketballs. She had her eyes on all the balls. But now that idea was out the window.

Her eyes widened and her head lifted as an idea popped up in her mind. She looked up at Lori, the older girl was sitting in her seat and watching patiently. Lynn slightly got up from her chair, leaned a bit over the table and whistled quietly but didn't get Lori's attention.

"Hey," Lynn hissed at her sister. The older girl turned to Lynn and nodded her head in confusion. "Do something?" Lynn whispered. Lori leaned over the table too and got closer to Lynn.

"Like what?" Lori asked, her voice below a hush.

"You said he listens to you, right? Convince him to let us go." Lynn suggested.

Lori looked over at her brother, his arms were crossed, back straight and his eyes looking down at his sisters with a sense of superiority. His grip on his arm was tight, his knuckles turned white and his fingers dug into his skin. His eye twitched and a crude upturned smile was painfully etched on his face. Lori turned to Lynn, keeping her eyes on Lincoln, and whispered.

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea." Lori pointed out. "And besides, I think he's right. There'll be too much of us in the mall for him to take care of."

Lori really wanted to go to the mall by herself.

"What?" Lynn said harshly. "Come on, don't be like that. It's not fair that you get to go and not us."

Lori began to get nervous. She never liked facing Lynn when she was angry. Lynn was the second strongest Loud and her punches hurt like a motherfucker. Probably because she played sports and played around like she was a boy. Lynn and Lincoln roughhouse a lot even though it was very one-sided.

Lincoln would practice wrestling moves on her, slamming her on the couch and pinning her to the floor. And Lynn flailed her arms and legs around, getting in a good hit or kick but nothing much. After all that was done, Lincoln and Lynn walked around with small bruises on their bodies like it was nothing.

Lori began to quiver and sweat. But before she got a chance to answer, Lincoln erupted.

"No," he shouted. "I don't care if you guys wanna go or if it's unfair or if you guys are mad. Lori and I are going by ourselves tomorrow. We'll be in and out before you even know it so there's no point in all of you tagging along. No one is going and that's final!" Lincoln shot a mad glance over to Luna. "You're in charge." He said.

The kids went silent. Some stared at him and others kept their eyes away as Lincoln marched out of the dining room.

"It's getting late," Lincoln shouted from the living room. "Clean the rest of the dishes when you're done and go to bed!"

It was barely five.

* * *

The sun started to set on the horizon and the lamp posts lit up like fire. The trees and leaves fluttered in the cool breeze and the clouds crawled slowly across the sky as if running away. The stars sprinkled across the desolate night and flickered beautifully.

The chirping of the crickets was more of an annoying click than a lullaby in the dark. Some lost, odd cars passed by with a low zoom and a dog barked in the far distance.

The house was coated in a layer of darkness. The lights were off and everything seemed still and fragile. Lincoln laid in his bed, his hand behind his head and his eyes pointed to the bland ceiling. He was thinking- thinking of what to do.

Lisa still hasn't told him anything about the antidote or when it'll be finished. He just hoped sooner rather than later. Even now, in the dead of night, Lisa was up and working. She was probably tired as hell but that's what she gets for fucking around. Lincoln sighed.

Lori would be a problem if anyone saw her with him and his sisters. They be like 'oh, who's that?' and what would Lincoln say. 'She's a friend? My sister?'

Ugh, then they'd ask where Lori was. Or how the others are doing. The wrong person could ruin everything in a second. Then Mom and Dad would come home and scream and get mad and… and he didn't want that to happen. If he had a nickel for everytime his parents screamed at him because of his sisters he'd have… thirty cents.

And those weren't just minor incidents, those moments were full of anger and hate. It made him scared of his parents a little.

One time, Lynn broke a vase in the living room while trying to play hockey indoors. When Mom found out, she cried because supposedly it was a gift from _her_ Mom that passed away. She asked around who broke it and Lincoln, being the older and responsible sibling, took the blame. And Lynn never said anything about it. Never said sorry or thanks, she went up to her room and forgot about it.

Another time was when the trophy case fell. But at the time it wasn't a trophy case. I mean it was but it only ever had souvenirs- glass cups with a state fancily written across. It was a family trip kinda thing. They'd travel around, Dad would buy little glass cups from a tour shop and that'd be a little memento or something like that.

Well, it fell one day, broke the trophy case, the glass cups inside and made a huge mess. Lincoln was home with the kids at the time and his Dad pointed the blame at Lincoln. But Lincoln got mad too and started shouting at his Dad and cursing at his sisters to confess. Then his Dad slapped him. It was a real shocker. Lincoln kept a tender hand on the red print on his cheek. His Dad told him to go to his room and Lincoln went with glazed eyes and bared teeth. Eventually, Lincoln and Dad made up and the whole incident was forgotten.

Turns out the twins did it.

Lincoln growled and turned to his side. Okay, plan time. Tomorrow morning he and Lori would have some breakfast, head to the mall and pick out some clothes, then make it back before noon.

That's it…?

No! There's always something that goes wrong. It can't be that simple. What was she missing? What wasn't he seeing that'll turn an easy tomorrow into hell on Earth. Checklist, checklist, checklist.

Make sure the kids are home. Okay. Luna'll be in charge so it's okay. Actually, no. It's not okay. He only put Luna in charge twice. And all she did was… nothing. Honestly, she just kept an eye on the kids and made sure nothing bad happened.

Luna never commanded them like a fearless general. She never screamed at them or ever told them what to do. But it was fine, this would be another time that she'd do nothing. It's fine. She just needed to make sure no one left the house.

Um, Lisa's gonna keep working on the- the thing. What if something blows up? That'll be another mess he'll have to clean up. Lincoln was honestly surprised that the little genius hasn't managed to kill herself yet. With all these failed experiments and explosions, he'd expect it to happen some time ago. It was short of a miracle but who cares. It was only a matter of time before everything goes back to normal.

Someone knocked on his door. His eyes opened and he pushed himself up. He turned to the door with a raised brow. He was surprised anyone was still up this late.

"Who is it?" He called.

"It's Leni," Leni called from the other side, her voice low and rough.

Lincoln went dour and he groaned. He never liked talking with Leni. She was the most difficult to deal with. She was narrow-minded and slow but she was funny to mess with.

Lincoln go up from his bed, his feet touching the icy floor with a thud. He walked over to the door, unlocked it and opened it. He looked down at Leni with a frown. She held onto her blanket in one hand and rubbed her tired eyes with the other, her lids were hung with fatigue and her body swayed lightly.

"What?" He asked.

"I can't sleep," she said drunk between sleep and awareness.

Ugh, this again.

He was so used to following this routine. His sister can't sleep, he'd ask why, they'd give him a dumb reason and he'd say 'you're a grown up. There's nothing to be scared of,' then they'd go back to their room and sleep. Unless they kept complaining. Then he'd be forced to do something about it.

"Why?" Lincoln said, his voice monotone and dead as if reading from a script.

"Lori's…" Leni yawned. She squeaked like a cat then gently rubbed the tears from her eye with the palm of her hand. "Lori's scaring me."

"Scaring you?" Lincoln fought back the urge to yawn too. "Scaring you how?"

Leni hung her head and shrugged her shoulders. Lincoln groaned. Looks like he had to do something about it. He stepped out of his room and gently closed the door behind him.

Leni grabbed onto the back hem of his orange pajamas as he marched down the corridor, following close behind. The blanket was kept close to her chest and slithered behind her like a pet. Lincoln stopped at Lori and Leni's door and slowly pushed it opened.

The door creaked painfully and swung open. The room was dark, as expected, but the window let the moonlight creep in. Light snoring filled the room.

And for a minute, Lincoln thought Leni fell asleep standing up, but it was Lori. He looked at the figure deep in the room. The moonlight outlined her side and brought the golden color of Lori's hair to life. Her back was facing them like she shunned him for some odd reason.

He looked around but there was nothing else.

"What?" Lincoln looked down at tiny Leni. She got closer and gripped his shirt tighter. She quivered and kept her eyes down. Lincoln looked back at the sleeping Lori. Her heavy breathing was entrancing.

He really needed to get some sleep.

"I can't do anything if you don't tell me what's wrong," Lincoln whispered, brows pinched and eyes scornful.

"She's scaring me," Leni mumbled, burying herself shamefully into his leg. Leni's warmness was… weird. Lincoln didn't like it.

"How?" Lincoln raised a hand and aimed at Lori, keeping his slitted eyes at Leni. "She's not doing anything."

"I-I don't… " Leni stuttered. He eyes darted around the floor like a scurrying mouse. "I don't _know_ her."

"What do you mean? It's Lori, how can you even-" Lincoln looked back into the room. His eyes landed on the same shadowy figure. Her body and limbs were elongated and her chest rose and fell peacefully. Her silky hair pooled over her shoulder and back like rippling water. Her smooth skin reflected the moonlight perfectly and the shin outlined her side in a heavenly grace. "Oh."

Lincoln stepped out of their room on the tip of his toes. He closed the door behind him gently until he heard a click. He turned to Leni, the bags under her eyes pulled on her face and she looked somewhat pale. Lincoln marched over to the stairs.

"Looks like you're gonna have to crash on the couch," Lincoln told her.

"But I don't wanna," Leni whined and moaned. "It's, like, super uncomfortable and cold."

"Well," Lincoln put his hands on his hips. "You can go sleep in your room. It's one or the other."

"I don't wanna," Leni said. Lincoln raised a hand to his face and sighed. Ugh, this again.

"What do you want me to do then?" Lincoln raised his voice, evident that Leni was annoying him. The little girl looked down and hung her head.

"Can I sleep with you?" Leni asked quietly, her hand clenched to her chest like a prayer. The blanket running down her body and feet like a gown gave her the appearance of an angel.

"No," Lincoln said. Leni looked up at his eyes with her innocent and wide own.

"Please," she tried again.

"No," Lincoln repeated with venom and spite. "You're too old to be scared of stupid stuff. And there's not enough space on my bed anyway. Just go sleep on the couch if you're so scared."

Leni's lips quivered. She didn't want to go downstairs because there were monsters there. Especially when it's dark but she didn't want to say it. She'd turn on the lights but Lincoln would just get mad at her. She dropped her shoulders and sighed in defeat.

"Okay," Leni said shyly.

She looked at the stairs and dragged herself to it. She shivered and placed a persistent hand over the wooden handrail but she turned back to Lincoln and pleaded with her eyes. His nose flared and he rolled his eyes.

Leni focused on the descending steps again and saw no end. Below was a mimic of an endless abyss full of despair and loneliness. Jesus Christ, she really didn't want to go. Lincoln could see that and it pissed him off. They always did that, always got what they wanted.

"Wait," Lincoln spoke up. Leni turned and her heart fluttered with hope. Her eyes met Lincoln's but he flinched and turned away. "Fine, you can sleep in my room."

Leni gasped and a shining smile stretched across her face. She ran up to Lincoln and hugged his leg. She buried her cheek into his soft thigh and purred. She pulled away and looked up at him. Lincoln's eye twitched and the corner of his mouth turned up in disgust. He wanted to push her away.

"Thank you," she blurted out.

"Uh, yeah, don't worry about," Lincoln said nervously. "Just go to bed. I'll be there in a bit," He nudged her with his leg and she took the hint. She let go and stepped back. Lincoln pointed over his shoulder. "Bathroom," He said as he turned and headed to the bathroom.

He heard giggling and scurrying footsteps behind him, then his bedroom door opened behind him. He turned nervously and saw that his door was left slightly ajar… for him.

He stared daggers down the hall and at his room. He shuttered and shook his head. He went into the bathroom, closed the door, waited for ten minutes then got out. But it felt like an eternity. He knew Leni, though. She was tired and exhausted and all he needed was time.

Lincoln walked back down the hall and to his room. He pressed an ear at the crack and listened carefully. A light snoring greeted his ear. He pulled away and reached for the knob. He turned it and closed to door, avoiding the nasty click of the lock. Then he maneuvered down the stairs and to the small couch. He dropped his weight and sighed in relief as he laid down, taking up as much space as possible.

He closed his eyes and waited. Then something of a slight remembrance struck his mind.

Leni was both right and wrong.

The couch _wasn't_ uncomfortable but…


	3. Chapter 3

The morning was fresh and the house seemed icy. Lincoln woke up with shivers. His toes were numb and his body felt cold. He was balled up, his arms wrapped around his chest and his shoulders tense. He sighed and he could've sworn he saw his cloudy breath. He stretched his arms up and his legs in an arch. He moaned and shot up. He sat and scratched his back as he smacked his dry lips. His eyes were bland and hazy, looking through the TV and the wall.

What time is it?

Lincoln looked out the window. The sky and streets were covered in a layer of blue mist. Early morning. A couple birds of chirped and planes zoomed by, but nothing else. He got up from the couch and stretched again, his hands reaching for the ceiling. He groaned with a painful delight. His hands fell limp to his side. His body moved on its own, walking past the dining room and into the kitchen.

He opened the fridge and scavenged around. What to make for breakfast? There were some eggs. Simple and easy. But he didn't want to eat eggs. He wanted something nice. Pancakes? Sure, why not. What else. Milk or orange juice? The kids liked orange juice. Fine, let's go with that.

And so he started. He walked to the dish rack and reached for the pan. He pulled it out and the plates clattered loudly but he didn't care. He tossed the pan on the oven, over the burner. He walked over to the cabinet and reached for the pancake mix. He squinted menacingly at the box.

He never liked making pancakes like this. He liked making it the way his Mom first taught him: from scratch.

In a large glass bowl, he had his flour, some sugar, and baking soda. Eggs and milk. Mix heavily and forcefully. Then Mom told him it was better if you add extra stuff to it like chocolate chips, bananas, blueberries. But holding the box in his hand, cooking felt… wrong. But Mom told him it was way easier and quicker. Especially early in the morning when no one wanted to do anything.

He stood in front of the stove, his gooey pancake mix to the side and some already on the burning pan. He looked down at the pan, wondering if he should put anything on it before it was too late. Yeah, he should. He walked over to the cabinet again and pulled out a plastic bag of chocolate chips.

He scanned it with a boring eye. He wasn't much of a chocolate fan like his sisters but it's not like he hated it or anything. He just didn't like the taste sometimes.

He opened the ziplock and poured some into the pancake mix. He flipped the pancake that was already on the pan with a plastic spatula, the top was golden brown. He smirked at the sight and smell.

I mean, he couldn't even understand how his sisters can down all that stuff down without getting a stomach ache. But they were kids. What kid doesn't like chocolate? Personally, he'd like banana slices in the pancakes, but his sisters would pout and whine. And he literally didn't need that kind of negativity this early in the morning. A happy family is a mildly less annoying family.

He scooped the ready pancake from the pan and tossed it onto a waiting plate. Then lifted the bowl with the pancake mix and threw some more onto the pan. A quick tilt was all he did. He liked his pancakes thin, It made the syrup sink in nicely. The others liked thin pancakes too.

He scooped and flipped.

And don't get him started on the butter. He liked adding a slice of butter on top of the stack after he was done but it was more for looks than taste. When he sees those breakfast commercials, whether it be from Denny's, McDonald's or anywhere, they always showed the shiny syrup showering over the butter on top like a waterfall. It made his mouth water and his pants tight.

But he already smeared butter on the pan and he _really_ didn't want to take it back out of the fridge just for a little show of cooking superiority. Besides, butter was like salt or sugar: tastes good but not healthy.

He scooped the pancake and threw it onto the plate.

Damn, they're lucky _Ihop_ changed their name to _Ihob_ 'cuz he'd beat the shit out of them with _his_ pancakes. What does Ihob mean again? International House of Bitches.

Lincoln scoffed at his own joke. He sighed with bliss at the smell and the sight of the short stack. He was pumping out pancakes like a machine. He kind of had to, though. He had other mouths to feed. Unfortunately.

His mood soured.

Flip. Wait. Flip. Wait Then toss to the side. He reaped that process for what felt like the hundredth time. He finally turned off the stove and looked at the plates of pancakes. Two on each plate with a total of eleven plates, syrup on each and waiting to be eaten. Lincoln placed the hot pan in the sink and smirked at the sight of his work, his hands on his hips and a light of appreciation in his eye. God, he wanted to eat some. Fuck it, he was gonna eat some.

He reached out for a plate, but he felt a cold breeze run down his back.

"Good morning,"

Lincoln jumped and yelped. He spun around and leaned on the counter, his legs shaking and his heart racing. Lucy stood there, rubbing her hidden eyes with the back of her hand. Lincoln sighed in relief. Then he looked at her with a scowl.

"Dammit," Lincoln cursed bitterly. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that?"

'Not enough," Lucy said.

Lucy saw her brother's nose wrinkle in anger. She smirked on the inside. She loved messing with Lincoln 'cuz he couldn't do anything back. She found out that she can fuck around with Lincoln as much as she liked as long she didn't touch him or patronize him. It was easy. Lucy would throw in a quick punch then run. Figuratively speaking, of course. She looked at his side and saw that he made breakfast.

"I see you made breakfast," Lucy pointed out with a nod.

Lincoln looked at his side then looked back at Lucy with a deadpan face.

"Right," Lincoln started.

"Can I get some?" Lucy asked.

"No,"

"Why not?"

"You didn't say the magic word,"

"Please,"

"No," Lincoln repeated. "Not yet. Go wake up your sisters while I finish setting things up."

Lucy turned around and walked back up the stairs without a word. Lincoln turn and looked at the plates of pancakes. He grabbed as many plates as he could and carried it over to the dining table. He dangerously dropped the plates on the table and marched back into the kitchen, grabbed more plates and threw it on the table. He went back again and grabbed the remaining plates. He fixed each plate in front of an empty chair, scurrying around the rim of the table like a madman. He looked around and nodded at the set. He jumped back into the kitchen, tore open the fridge and got two cartons of orange juice, tucked it under his armpit and grabbed two plastic bottles of Aunt Jemima syrup.

He ran back to the table, placed the orange juice cartons on opposite sides of the table and did the same for the syrup. He looked over everything and made sure it was right. Forks and knives were already there but he didn't expect them to use it. Paper cups were ready and so was he. Now, Lincoln waited… and counted.

His breath lingered in his ears and his heart painfully thumped against his chest. The chirping birds still sang their song and the plane in the distant was far and gone. He probably should've poured the orange juice for them. Actually, no. Then he'd be able to see the juice ripple ominously. And he wanted every second of silence he had left.

Lincoln felt the ground shake under him. He knew what it was. He pulled up a painful smile and sat in the empty chair at the far end of the table.

He kept a sharp eye at the threshold of the dining room, waiting for the first glance of _them_ to come around the corner. So he can time his depression just right. He heard mumbling and steps thumping down the stairs. Then there was a deep yawn coming from the living room all while the thumping from the stairs kept going.

Okay, there was more than he was expecting but that was okay. The highest number of sisters he had at once in the morning was… five. Now, he was expecting three. Lincoln hoped he was right. He took in a deep breath and prepared himself.

Lucy walked form around the corner but he already knew she was going to be here. The little goth walked by, pulled out an empty seat and sat in the middle of the table. He expected Lynn next.

Just as he finished his thought, Lynn crawled around from the corner. He knew it. Whichever sister woke up first, Lincoln knew that they'd wake up their roommate next. And It worked every time.

The bags under Lynn's eyes dragged on her face and her bloodshot eyes gave her the appearance of a feral animal. She yawned, a tear forming at the corner of her eye. She brushed it away with a greedy palm and smacked her dry lips lazily.

"Morning," she said a bit cheerfully and peppy than her awful look let on. She looked at the table and saw the pancakes and juice. Her eyes lit up and a nasty smile stretched across her face. "Hell yeah. You made breakfast?" Lynn turned to her brother. Lincoln nodded with a tilt of his head and a painful smirk that showed the fading light in his eyes.

Lincoln watched from the corner of his eye as Lynn walked over to Lucy and sat next to her. Lucy sat there quietly, staring at her food. Lynn snatched a fork and ate with the passion of a beast. She didn't even put any syrup on, didn't pour herself any juice.

Then there was plenty of muffled thuds coming from the living room. Lincoln and Lucy turned. The twins came from around the corner. Both looked tired and exhausted.

"Good morning," Both of them said in unison.

They walked over to Lynn and sat down next to her. Lincoln didn't care about where they sat but something about the order was making him uncomfortable. One whole side of the table was already taken up and the other side was dead and vacant. He usually wouldn't care if it wasn't for the odd fact that they got closer to him every time someone sat down. Lana was to his left, poking at her pancake with a tiny smile. She was at arm's length. Lincoln wanted to scoot further away but that'd be weird. No, he just had to deal with it.

He reached for his fork and started eating along with the others. He tore off a piece of the pancake and threw it into his waiting mouth. The taste was dry and dusty. Syrup. He needed syrup. He cleared his throat and everyone looked at him. He kept his focus on the plastic bottle.

"Can you pass me that?" Lincoln mumbled quietly, pointing at the syrup. Everyone turned to the bottle, looking and waiting eagerly to see who would grab it first. There was a second of waiting that felt like minutes. Then Lynn leaned over the table, swiped the syrup and handed it over to Lincoln.

Lincoln took it.

Lincoln and Lynn's eyes met. Lincoln shot a quick smile out of courtesy and nodded. Lynn shared the smile back out of respect rather than… affection. Lincoln hung his head and fixed his eyes on his plate. He heard more footsteps but didn't acknowledge it with a glance. The footsteps wrapped around the room and finally stopped at his side. Luan and Luna sat down at the empty side, leaving one vacant seat to separate them. God bless that they decided to stay away.

Lincoln tilted the plastic bottle and squeezed it.

The golden lava of sugar came slithering out slowly. Lincoln started in the center of his pancake then spun the syrup around in a spiral. He stopped when he reached the edge. He closed the bottle and placed it as far away from him as possible, so the kids wouldn't ask him to pass it. A fork dropped and clattered on an empty plate. He looked up and saw Lynn with a goofy smile.

"Hey, Lincoln, Can I have some more?" Lynn asked desperately. Lincoln toughened up.

"No," Lincoln said. He looked at Lucy then to her plate. She hadn't eaten a single bite. "Lucy," He called. The little goth turned her attention to her brother, her dark hair flailing gently. "Are you gonna eat?" Lucy shook her head. "Why?" Lincoln asked.

"I'm not hungry," Lucy said. Lincoln growled. He cooked for nothing. He looked back at Lynn and their eyes met again. Lincoln nodded at Lucy.

"You can have her's," Lincoln said.

"I don't want her to have mines," Lucy said. Lynn glared at Lucy with a raised brow.

"But you're not even gonna eat it," Lynn said.

"I know but I don't want you to have it," Lucy repeated. "You eat too much. You'll get fat."

Lynn gasped and everyone else giggled. Lincoln wasn't having one of their little antiques this early in the morning, though.

"Lucy," Lincoln said firmly. "Give Lynn your breakfast if you don't want it."

Lucy looked down at the pancakes, then turned to Lynn. The little athlete had an evil eye, her brows were pinched and her nose was up. Lucy turned to Lincoln.

"If you want, you can have it," Lucy suggested.

"No, I'm fine," Lincoln said through his teeth, still glaring at Lucy.

Lucy turned to Luan.

"Luan?" Lucy asked but Luan shook her head. Lucy turned to Luna but she held her hand up and gently patted her stomach. Lucy turned to the twins but they were half dead and munching on their food. Lucy looked back at her plate then turned her focus to Lincoln.

"If you want, you can have it," Lucy suggested.

"I already said no," Lincoln growled.

Another sister came from the living room. Leni yawned and whined pitifully. Her arms fell to her side and her heavy head dragged her down. She slithered to the corner between Lincoln and Luan and took a seat.

"Actually," Lucy said with a smirk. "I think I'll eat."

Lincoln groaned. Lynn pouted and sank into her chair. She looked away from Lucy and saw the orange juice on the table. She shot up from her seat, leaned over the table and snatched the carton. She took off the cap and began to down the juice like a pro. Luna gasped.

"Dude, stop. You gotta share with the rest of us." Luna blurted out.

The rocker shot up from her chair too and reached for the carton in Lynn's hand but the little athlete turned. Luna accidentally smacked the bottom of the carton. Juice jumped out of the carton and splashed Lynn on the face. Lynn gasped as the icy cold drink sank into her white and red jersey. She swallowed and flared.

"Why'd you do that?" Lynn shouted.

"You're hogging the juice, dude," Luna said. "Hand it over."

"No, _dude_ ," Lynn said teasingly. She pointed at the other far end of the table, where the twins sat. "There's more over there."

Lola gasped. Lincoln pulled away from Lynn and turned to the twins, his focus went to Lola's shocked face then he turned to Lana with her mouth puffed and full. Then Lana swallowed and let out a satisfied sigh. Lola pushed Lana as rough as she can. Lana shrieked and flailed her arms around, keeping herself from falling off the chair. Then she turned and stared daggers at her twin.

"What's wrong with you?" Lana said, her eyes sharp and teeth bared.

"Me?" Lola shouted. "You ate my pancakes."

"You weren't eating," Lana poorly justified.

"I was taking my time," Lola hissed, roughly shoving Lana on the shoulder again.

"Stop pushing me," Lana said deeply, a sense of warning in her words. Lola felt it. The little diva lifted her nose and looked down at Lana with a glare.

"Give. me. my. _pancakes_ ," Lola said slowly and menacingly through her teeth.

"I. _can't_ ," Lana mimicked.

"Then you better make me some," Lola commanded.

"For you?" Lana said with a giggle. "As if."

Then the two started arguing. They shouted and raised their hands, both stood up on their chairs and tried intimidating each other. Lincoln watched on, the fake smile on his face twitching and braking but he managed. Then he turned to Lynn and Luna. Their hands pulled and tugged on the juice carton, spraying it all over the table. Lincoln let out a pitiful sad sigh that sounded more like a desperate whine.

He turned to Luan. She was face down on the table, her hands tucked under her chin and her back lightly rising and falling. Lincoln turned to Lucy. She stared right back at him with an empty expression, then the corner of her lips turned up into a smirk.

Lincoln's fabricated smile fell and his eyes showed what they tried so hard to hide: misery.

He felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down to his right and saw Leni with her lids heavy and head hung.

"Why didn't you come to bed last night?" Leni mumbled out. But just as she finished speaking, everyone went dead silent. Even Luan snorted and shot her head up. Drool ran down the side of her mouth and her eyes were lazy and groggy.

"Huh?" Lincoln said, his voice echoed in his head. His heart skipped a beat and his chest tightened. He looked at his side, all the kids froze and stared at him. Lincoln kept his composure at ease. If they saw him weak then they'd jump on his back like clawing monkeys and ride him like monsters. And if they knew that he let Leni sleep in _his_ room then they'd know he was weak and… _affectionate_

"You didn't come to bed yesterday," Leni stated. Lincoln chuckled nervously.

"What are you talking about?" Lincoln asked.

"You," Leni said. "You let me sleep in your room but you didn't come to bed."

Lincoln's mind raced. How the fuck did she know? Lincoln made sure she was sound asleep. Did she wake up? Maybe. There was always someone waking up in the dead of night, going to the bathroom or getting a drink of water.

"You probably imagined it," Lincoln closed his lips and looked down at his plate, a bead of sweat running down his brow.

"But-" Leni started.

Lincoln shot up from his seat. The chair leaned back dangerously and the table rattled under his weight. He hands were on the corner and his head high. Everyone followed him with curious eyes.

"Okay. Listen up, twerps." Lincoln's fake enthusiasm and energetic voice pierced the silent air. "We're all going to the mall today." Everyone gasped in delight. Except for Leni. She was confused. "Make sure you clean up the dishes and get ready." Lincoln moved to the threshold of the living room with a swift grace. "But make sure Lisa and Lori eat first. Oh, And Lily too."

Leni spoke up but only an empty sound escaped her mouth before Lincoln turned the corner and disappeared. She sat there, lost and puzzled.

"Did you hear that?" Lynn said cheerfully. "We're going to the mall."

"What do you think made him change his mind?" Luna asked.

"I don't know but I don't care." Lynn let go of the orange juice carton and placed her hands on her hips.

Luna brought it and held it close to her chest. She looked inside but was disappointed to find it empty. Luan groaned and dropped her head back onto the table. She slept.

* * *

Lincoln marched up the stairs, his breath lacking and his heart slowing down. He took in a quick breath and let it out. Calm down, he needed to calm down. He was nervous a while ago and now he was pissed. Now he had to take those bastards to the mall. But it was honestly his fault. He shouldn't have spoken before thinking. But then again, Leni was persistent. She was talking _way_ too much. But everyone was listening. They should've just gone on with what they were doing. But they were making a huge mess. He stopped them. But he made a bigger deal out of it by acting poorly.

And what the hell was the silence about?

They were all fucking things up and all of a sudden everyone goes silent when Lincoln's involved. He shook his head and went on. He made it to the top of the stairs and stopped in the hallway. He looked down to the left and then to the right. His eyes squinted when he looked down at Lisa's door. She hasn't come out of her room yet. What was she doing?

Lincoln shrugged. He walked down to Lori's room. He opened the door and peeked inside. Lori was upright, sitting on her bed. Her hair was messy and her face looked worse. Her mouth hung open and she stared through the wall. Her head turned to Lincoln when she felt him staring. Lincoln had an annoyed glare on his face.

"I thought you were asleep," Lincoln said sharply. She stared at Lincoln for a second then looked back at the wall.

"My arms and legs feel weird," Lori whined.

"What do you mean?" Lincoln asked.

"I don't know," Lori said quietly. She turned to Lincoln, her static expression never changing. "They feel… long."

"That's 'cuz they _are_ long, you moron," Lincoln spat.

Lori looked down at her legs then lifted an arm. She squinted her eyes and focused intensely on her limbs. Her eyes danced from her arms to her legs then to Lincoln. A goofy smile stretched across her face. She snorted and began to giggle.

"Oooh, yeeeaah, huh?" Lori's head dipped back and her eyes closed. When she felt like she was going to fall back, she flung her head up. Her eyes shot open then fluttered, trying to stay open. Lincoln looked at her with his brow raised and jaw open. Was she alright? Maybe. She was probably acting stupid. A lot of his sisters had the tendency to do so. But then again, it was almost like she was-

"Are you okay?" Lincoln asked.

"Um, yeah. I just had a weird dream," Lori started. "It was about me. I… I thought that I got younger. It was _really_ trippy." Lori turned and looked at her brother. And she yawned. "Is there any breakfast?"

Lincoln's nodded his head slowly.

"Uh, yeah. I made pancakes," Lincoln said.

"Ah, nice," Lori moved her legs robotically and pushed herself up from the bed. She stretched an arm over her shoulder and scratched the back of her head. She yawned and stretched.

She dragged herself over to Lincoln. He moved away and opened the door wider for her. Lori slithered on out and marched down the corridor. Lincoln scanned her back with a curious eye. She went by the stairs and disappeared over the corner. Lincoln stood there, baffled and wondering.

He growled and shook his head. She was just being weird, Lincoln told himself. He shut the bedroom door and walked over to the stairs but a tick in the back of his head stopped him just as he was about to take the first step down.

He looked over and Lisa's room. He wanted to leave her alone, she was probably working or something, but Lincoln's curiosity got the better of him. He walked over to Lisa's bedroom door and gently opened it. He peeked inside and that the room was drenched in a layer of darkness.

The only light was coming from the cracks in the curtains that blocked the window. He looked over at the bed in the corner and saw Lily sleeping soundly. Then he looked over at the other side and saw Lisa on her chair. She was face down on her desk, hands nicely tucked under her chin and breathing softly.

Lincoln rolled his eyes.

He walked in proudly and went over to Lily. She was balled up in her small bed, that nasty, purple blanket from long ago over her. Mom and Dad said they'd get her a bigger bed but they never did. They got the impression that Lily liked her old stuff. And Lincoln was thinking that too. Lincoln leaned over and got close. He nudged her softly and her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey, twerp," Lincoln whispered. "We're going to the mall, wanna tag along?"

"The mall?" Lily said lazily. She yawned. "I thought you said we were supposed to stay here."

"I changed my mind," Lincoln said plainly.

"Um," Lily looked down at the ground and her brow pinched in thought. Then she nodded her head and looked at Lincoln. "Yeah, sure."

"Okay, then," Lincoln moved away, standing in his full height. "Go eat your breakfast before someone else does."

"Mmkay," Lily mumbled before getting up gracefully, dragging herself out the room, and following the enticing smell lingering in the air.

Lincoln traced her movement with his eyes, his heart still and mind fuzzy. He sighed when he couldn't hear her footsteps anymore. Lily was a sweetheart, truly. She was a quiet one but everyone liked her the most. Especially Lincoln. Mostly because she wasn't like her sisters at all. She was nice to a fault and really sympathetic. She gave Lincoln the less trouble. Shit, if anything, none at all. Another reason was that she kind of reminded him of himself. She was small and gullible. She liked nerdy stuff like drawing, watching Ace Savvy, and reading comics, and playing games and… doing all the things Lincoln liked to do. Used to do.

Lincoln would never say that Lily was his favorite sister. He knew about the consequences of favoritism in this house. I mean, he wasn't stupid. He knew what would happen if he got close to one of his sisters. He did it to Luan on purpose but he didn't care. But if anyone ever hurt Lily, It'd break his heart.

But even though she was his favorite, that didn't stop Lincoln from thinking: She's not like them… yet.

Lincoln glanced over his shoulder and saw Lisa. He strolled over to her and looked at her resting form with a critical eye. She breathed softly, her physique small as a bunny and her face innocent. Lincoln's nose twitched. He roughly kicked the wooden leg of her chair with no remorse. The little genius shot up with a shriek as the chair tilted dangerously. Her glasses fell to the ground and her hands reaching for the table.

She gasped for air, her focus off ahead and her chest rising and falling fast. She looked up at Lincoln with wide eyes. Then she glared at him with a bitter taste in her mouth. Her eyes sharpened and her brows pinched.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lisa spat.

Lincoln's shared back the look with a bit of evil in his eyes.

"Watch who you're talking to, brat," Lincoln growled. He looked down at the work on her desk. Much like before, there were papers scattered about and vials with weird substances that he didn't even want to ask about. "Did you finish the antidote."

Lisa turned and looked down at her desk.

"No," she said with a pout, like a stubborn child.

"So, when are you?" Lincoln asked with a slow chill in his voice.

"I don't know. It's hard to tell when I have nothing to test it on," Lisa stated.

"Just use rats," Lincoln said mumbled through clenched teeth.

"I said no," Lisa ordered. "That's gross."

"Gross?" Lincoln shouted in disbelief, throwing his hands up in exaggeration. He fought himself. He told himself to calm down and he did. He turned away from Lisa and buried his face in his palm. Calm down, calm down.

Just breath. Slowly.

In… and out.

Okay.

"Look," Lincoln started. "The rest of us are going to the mall. You're staying here and you're gonna work on the antidote until you're finished, got it?"

Lisa gasped and looked back at Lincoln with desperate eyes.

"But I wanna go too," Lisa whined.

"I said no," Lincoln ordered.

"T-that's not fair," Lisa cried out.

"Believe me, I know," Lincoln said, a smile stretching across his face and joy dripping from his tone. He turned and walked for the door. His back was stone and a certain shiver ran down his spine.

"Lincoln," Lisa softly called.

Something in her voice caught his attention. What was it? So gently and full of defeat. Lincoln just had to look. He stopped when his hand touched the freezing knob of the door. He turned at looked at Lisa with a stoic face. Lisa's eyes were bland, the dark bags under her brought it to more focus. Her small figure betraying her mature mind. But even though she might be the smarted mind that graced Earth, she was still a child.

"Please," Lisa attempted.

Lincoln looked over her. What was she even going for? She wasn't very open about her interest that much. The only thing she ever showed real interest was in science. And the last time Lincoln checked, they don't usually sell science stuff in the mall. But he was curious. He looked at her glasses that sat nicely on the ground, then looked back up at her.

"Eat breakfast first," Lincoln said as he walked out and closed the door, leaving the little genius in the dark.

The last bit of light escaped from her room, a satisfied smirk stretched across her face from ear to ear. She reached for her glasses and cleaned the lenses with her sleeve. She put it on and pressed it up to the bridge of her nose with a thumb.

She played Lincoln good.


	4. Chapter 4

The mall bustled with the sound of pounding feet and unrecognizable chatter. People walking to and from store to store like mindless zombies. Giggling and laughter rose above the mess of talking. Couples walked by, young and old. Families and friends stuck in groups, slithering around, cracking jokes, and enjoying their time.

The mall was a good way to escape, well, everything. What better way to distract yourself than being in a building full of things you want to buy but also don't want to buy?

 _Here, let me check this out. Should I get it? Mmm, Nah. I don't have any money to spend. Let's go look some more, though._

Lincoln stood in front of his crowded sisters, his posture firm and bold. His eyes were sharp and his face was hard. His sisters talked amongst each other, smiling and whatnot. Lincoln's eyes slit and he cleared his throat.

"Alright, twerps, listen up," Lincoln roared. Some passerbyers walked by silently with a brow raised and eyes over Lincoln. But he ignored them. Lincoln hardly felt any shame when he shouted in public. His sisters helped him with that, unfortunately. He looked at his watch. "It's 12 o'clock sharp. You have two hours to do whatever you want. We meet back here at _2 o'clock sharp_. Got it? Right on the dot. If you're not here by that time then tough luck. I don't care if you're here or not, we _will_ leave without you. The bus back home leaves at around 3 and I don't plan on waiting around for the next one. Understood?"

The sisters stood firm, their chins up and backs straight like the subordinates Lincoln needed them to be.

"Sir, yes sir," all the sisters said in unison.

"Alright then. If you wanna buy something, then you better have your own money. Got it?"

The sisters nodded. Lynn looked at Lincoln with a rising curiosity.

"How are you gonna pay?" Lynn asked.

Lincoln never saved his money. He always spent it on dumb comic books or wasted it on his girlfriend the moment his parents gave him any. But that was expectable. Lincoln was a grown up and that means he has to spend a lot of money on things he doesn't want to. But not the kids.

What are they gonna do? Buy cute stuff for their boyfriend? No way. Boys are gross. And dumb. And annoying. And _very_ immature.

"I'm using the emergency funds that Mom and Dad left us," Lincoln said. His sisters whined and grumbled. "What, you got something to say?" Lincoln looked over them, his sharp eyes down on the younger ones. Then he turned to the older ones and they flinched.

"D-didn't Mom and Dad say to use it only for emergencies?" Luan piped up.

Lincoln's brows pinched. He looked at Lori and flailed her arms at her.

"Do you _not_ see this?" Lincoln asked annoyingly, genuine anger erupting from Luan's idiotic question. "Cuz the last time I checked, _this_ pretty much looks like an emergency to me."

Right. Lincoln buried his face in his hands. Take it easy. Calm down. People are around. Don't blow up. Nice and easy breaths. In and out. In and out.

"You know what, I don't care anymore. All of you, just go." His eyes landed on Lily. All the sisters scattered and Lily seemed to follow Luan. "And be careful," Lincoln added. The sisters turned for a moment, perplexed by his sudden change of tone. In a way, they all knew it wasn't exactly directed at them.

"Wait, Lola," Lincoln called. The little diva turned and her eyes narrowed. "I need you to help."

"Huh," Lola asked. "With what?"

"Her," Lincoln pointed a thumb over his shoulder. Lola looked over and Lori stood there in her loose clothing, looking lost and distant like Leni. "Help her pick out a bra and some underwear."

"Uh," Lola giggled. "Sorry, pal, but I got some of my own stuff going on." Lola turned and began to pace away with a seductive walk, her hips bouncing from side to side and her shoes tapping against the floor. But it only made her look stupid. Lincoln rolled his eyes. "I'll give you five bucks if you do."

"Deal," Lola said, standing in front of Lincoln with a greedy palm out. Lincoln reached into his pocket, thumbed through the fat stack and fished out the bill. Lola snatched it from his fingers and shoved it into the drop of her neck collar.

Lincoln wanted to smack her for doing that but fought against it. Lola was the prettiest one of all the sisters and also the biggest rat. She was stingy and evil, selfish and wicked. Her true character, Lola's real personality, was the ugliest thing Lincoln had ever seen.

Hm, getting Lola a boyfriend might be pretty simple, though. He's just gotta have a bunch of cash. Unless Lola was actually human and loved for…. well, love. But Lincoln doubted that. He turned and glanced a Lori. She was looking up at the second floor.

"Hey," Lincoln called loudly. Lori turned her focus to Lincoln. The boy nodded ahead. "Come on."

Now they needed to find a clothing store. Lincoln took the lead with Lola and Lori together in the back. They marched on through the mall, passing by useless stores and people alike, not knowing that three rowdy teens chuckled dumbly while gawking over Lori.

One of the teens, skinny and with a bad bowl cut, nudged his friends with a chuckle. The fat, bulky teen took the hint and nodded his head. The two walked on and the third teen, a scrawny goth kid, followed closely behind.

* * *

Luna ignored the rising noise of talk. She stayed close to Lynn, who was taking the lead. They were on the second floor, walking around the rim. Luna looked over the ledge and saw the lower floor with all its stores and kiosk stands. She kept tabs for a certain place but she had no luck finding anything. All there was were stores selling weird shoes, ripped clothes, women's clothes that seemed to tight and thin, a candy shop, and toy stores.

Luna focused back to Lynn and tapped her on the back. Lynn tilted her head back and gave her an ear.

"Where are we going again?" Luna asked curiously.

"I don't know about you, but _I'm_ going to the Big 5," Lynn said cheerfully. "Gotta check some stuff out."

"Right," Luna mumbled.

They took a left then a right, did a loop around the cafeteria and finally ended up where they wanted to be. Or at least, where Lynn wanted to be. The fat logo on top shined brightly: Big 5 Sporting Goods.

Lynn glanced at the sign with her hands on her hips and a nice smirk on her face. This must be heaven. She walked on and past the entrance but felt something missing. Lynn turned and glanced over at Luna.

"You coming?" Lynn asked. Luna rubbed the back of her head and dropped her eyes to the floor.

"I don't know, sis. This isn't really down my alley," Luna said. Lynn shrugged.

"Suit yourself," she turned and walked further in. Luna took a step forward and cupped her hands around her mouth.

"I'll meet you back at the entrance," Luna shouted.

"Got it," Lynn shouted back.

Luna's shoulders fell and her passion crumbled. She really wanted to stay with someone but Lynn probably wasn't the best choice. Last time Lynn dragged her to the store, Luna walked out with sore muscles, a bruise on her arm, and a sweaty face. Lynn didn't even buy anything. Not the dumbbells she made her try or the boxing gloves she hit her with. Lynn just walked out with a satisfied smile.

Luna didn't want to do that again. She followed Lynn cuz she was the only sister still in sight. But what now? Go back to the entrance and wait, I guess.

Actually, wait.

She still needed to find that teens store she was looking for. If it'd be anywhere, then I'd definitely be in a mall. Or a gas station.

Luna walked on. She passed by empty stores and odd people. She looked inside a random store and saw it was vacant. Except for the worker behind the cash register. They made eyes contact and Luna turned quicker than light. Her shoulders tensed and her lips shut. Her eyes went wide and her pace quickened.

When she felt comfortable with her distance, Luna slowed to a stroll and went on. She looked back then scanned around, making sure no one was looking at her. Much to her relief, everyone was minding their own business.

She didn't like to say it but she was scared of adults. And teenagers. Anyone remarkably older than her, to be in fact. She didn't know why. She knew people are sometimes nice and stuff but she couldn't help thinking that everyone was out to get her. Tracing every one of her moves, waiting to strike. It all stems from that day.

It wasn't long ago but it felt like ages. She hoped it was. Luan went to her first concert to watch one of her favorite bands play. The thing was, she was by herself. She didn't see it as much of a problem. She liked to think that her parents saw her as responsible and mature enough to take care of herself. And Luna thought so too. She didn't want to admit that she was scared. That's not what grown-ups do.

In the end, everything played out amazingly. The music was fantastic and the roaring of the people brought shivers down her spine. Her heart raced with a burning passion that was so unfamiliar yet knowing. The corner of her lips turned and she couldn't help but smile. Her short breaths came out trembling and her heart ached for more. The music, the voice, the attention was irresistible.

At that moment, Luna decided that music would be her life. She promised to practice day in and day out, and do everything and anything to have a chance to relive that amazing experience. This time, though, she'd be on the stage. The cheering would be for her. The music would be for her. The whole world would be for her.

Even when everyone was still leaving and gone, Luan stayed in her seat, shaking with joy. Her eyes stayed on the stage and saw herself there. It was a wishful dream but she hoped it'd be a reality one day.

One day.

Luna got up to leave. Her legs felt like noodles and her body kept shaking with a restless desire. Okay. Fun's over, Luna decided. She needed to find Mom and Dad. She scurried through the row of seats and down the metal stairs. She marched back from where she came, but she glanced over he shoulder and gave the stage one last glare.

"I'm coming for you," Luna mumbled.

She turned back and walked out the dark corridor leading back to the mall.

Luna never told her parents or anyone, but she got jumped that day. Down that same corridor she went down, a couple of teen punks stopped her, teased her and bullied her. She was too scared to do anything. She just kept saying, "I have to go, I have to go" like a broken record. Her voice quivered and the boys laughed at her.

They kept stopping her and pushing her around. They told her to cough up her money but Luna didn't want to. Only after getting smacked across the face did Luna reluctantly hand over the money that Mom and Dad gave her for snacks. The slap knocked her down to the ground and made her head spin. Surprisingly enough, there was no pain. Her face felt numb but full at the same time.

The teens laughed. One of teens tucked the money in their pockets, the others high-fived, and walked away. Luna pushed herself up and her cheek felt puffy. She touched it and she flinched. Her eyes glistened and tears crowded in the corner of her eye.

Don't cry, she told herself. Grown-ups don't cry. Even as the tears trickled down her gentle skin, she kept telling herself so. She touched her cheek again and it stung even worse. The pain started kicking in.

The restroom. She needed to go to the restroom and fix this. Her parents can't see her like this. Where was it? She walked in the opposite direction of the teens and hoped for the best. She was lucky enough to find a girls restroom. Single room too.

Luna went in and locked the door. She scurried over to the mirror and turned her cheek. She looked at where it felt puffy and saw nothing. It didn't bruise as noticeably as it felt. There was a red mark across her cheek where the smack landed but that's all. It burned.

She looked at the faucet and turned the knob. The water ran cold under her touch. She cupped her hand and let the water pool in her tiny palm. She never noticed it, but her hands shook violently, water splashing out like crashing waves.

Luna lowered her face and brought the cold water to her burning cheek. It hurt and tears formed in her eyes, but she fought through the pain. She cupped more icy water into her palm and pressed it against her cheek again and again. Then some more until it didn't hurt anymore. She turned off the faucet, looked off to the side, and snatched some paper towels from the dispenser. She wiped her wet face then looked back into the mirror.

He eyes were bloodshot, dry tears stained both sides of her face and the red mark on her face stayed. She scanned every inch of her face, her eyes running across her mark, then to her eyes, then to the tears. She looked like a mess. Her lips quivered and her eyes tightened.

Luna turned the faucet on again, put both of her hands together and scooped water in her palms. She bowed her head and tossed the water across her face. She snatched some more paper towels and wiped off everything from her face. She blinked fiercely and waited for the red veins in her eyes to go away.

When she finally felt comfortable, Luna stepped out of the restroom and dragged herself to the exit. She met her parents outside. Lincoln, Lori, Leni, and Luan waited there with them. When Mom saw Luna's face, her smile fell and her eyes widened. Everyone noticed Mom and turned to Luna. Mom rushed over to Luna and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Oh my God," Mom said worryingly. "Luna, what happened?"

"O-oh," Luna touched the red spot gently and giggled poorly. "I fell down the stairs and landed on my face."

"Oh, dear," Mom whined. "You have to be more careful. Look at your face. It's all red. Does it hurt?"

"Not as much as before," Luna shrugged. "B-but I'll be fine."

"Okay," Mom looked at Luna, sounding unpleased with… something. "We'll put some ice on it later."

Mom grabbed Luna by her small hand and dragged her along. Luna hung her head and tightened her grip around her Mom's warm hand. She looked over at her sisters. They were laughing and giggling. Probably at her. Then she looked over to Lincoln. He stood tall and looked down at her with his arms crossed. His eyes were sharp and narrowed as if judging her. His face was firm and his brows pinched angrily. Scolding her. It looked like Lincoln was scolding her.

Luna looked away timidly and hot shame ran down her body. She felt like Lincoln knew what had happened but she wasn't so certain of it, though. She was probably just imagining it.

But she was sure of it when a couple days later, when Lynn and Luna were fighting, Lincoln came up to her. He looked the same as that day: frightening and intimidating. But he looked at Luna and told her, "Don't let Lynn beat you around, twerp. Even if you're not tough, it's better to go down a fighter than going down a quitter."

Well, that was the essential part of it. The way he said it sounded more… emotional. But Luna felt like Lincoln wasn't _really_ talking about Luna and Lynn. The sisters fought all the time, it was inevitable, but Lincoln usually never really cared. Whenever the sisters fought, Lincoln wouldn't stop them, wouldn't scream at them, or do anything. He just ignored them. Luna knew Lincoln was despicable. He was rude, bossy, and mean all the time. But not this time.

This time, he talked to Luna.

This time, he cared.

And it made her feel warm inside.

Now, music played faintly. Above all the amalgamation of words and nonsense, music greeted Luna's ears. She didn't know what it was or what it sounded like, but she could feel the melody. A tempo and a nice pace. She followed it. She slithered through people and crowds with a swift flow.

The music grew louder and louder. And when she saw the store from where it was coming from, she marched over to it with some kind of determination. Then the music was more defined. It was electro-rave music. It sounded bad. Luna considered herself pretty open to all kinds of music. And she knew that some electro music was… okay, but it lacked the soul and emotions of playing the notes on a guitar or making the beats on the drums.

Luna ignored the music and the store immediately caught her eye. It was a party store. No, it was a teens store. It had costumes displayed at the window, small backpacks hung on the ceiling, skateboards of all kinds, and just you're average teen stuff. Phone cases over there, fidget spinner here, and posters all around.

She looked around the store from outside. It was fairly crowded in there. There was a variety of people in there instead of teens. Some adults who thought they were still young, kids who thought they were top shit, and teens who thought too much of themselves. Luna looked from side to side, making sure no one was following her.

Then Luna scurried inside after some hesitation. She lost herself in the crowd but she was pretty confident that she would find what she was looking for. She scavenged around the front but she was only greeted with plushies, socks, girly backpacks, and shirts with gangster stuff. Like seriously, who buys a shirt of Bugs Bunny wearing chains and looking like a scary monster?

She pushed the thought away and went deeper to the back. There were several cardboard boxes scattered across the floor full of albums and magazines stacked on top of each other. Some magazines were torn and old but that didn't matter to her. She eyed the boxes and felt like it had to be here. Luna turned around, then looked left and right. It was quite back here. Mostly everyone was at the front but she wasn't complaining. She turned her focus back to the boxes and leaned into one. She looked at the top magazine. It was about celebrities. She looked at another box and on top was a white album. Then she turned to another box and found more magazines about celebrities.

Luna reached a hand over to the magazine, pinched the bottom of the spine and lifted up the flimsy paper. Beneath it was another magazine. It was a fashion article. Luna lifted the magazine again and saw the next. It was another fashion one. She did it again and again until she cleared the cardboard box. Nothing.

She turned back to the first box she saw and skimmed through the magazines. After she burned through a bit of the magazines, there was one with a shirtless man with big muscles. His body looked sharp and tough. She lifted the other magazines she went through and dropped it carefully on the floor. She reached into the box and pulled out the magazine with the man on it. There was a lot of words on the front for her to read. She clawed a thumb on the pages and opened it randomly. She was greeted with another man, shirtless. He had his hands behind his head, his chest was wide and his face was sharp. His muscles bulged despite his relaxed look. The photo was only waist up. She looked at the other photos and saw a man, full body, in underwear. He was stretching. His arms were pumped up and his muscles popped out.

Luna's eyes furrowed. She skipped to another page and saw another bulky man but he had a big dumbbell in his hand. The other photo on the side showed a man doing push-ups.

It was a Body Builder's magazine.

Luna growled and tossed the magazine at the discarded pile. She looked inside the box with her mood soured and her face scrunched in annoyance. She saw a magazine with a woman on the cover. She was on her knees with her hands up in her hair and her shirt split down the middle. Her perky breasts looked big and her nipples pointed out temptingly.

Luna flinched and looked away. Her head twisted around and her eyes glued to the floor. Her face went red in embarrassment and her heart raced dangerously. She already knew all about a woman's body; after all, she was one. But she was used to her own body. Small, thin, young, and undeveloped. Looking at that lady with her huge boobs, creamy skin, and shiny brown hair made Luna's stomach turn.

What was that feeling? She felt it before, so many times before: Jealousy

That was the same feeling she felt when she saw Lori. The new Lori. She was so beautiful and mature. Her height was intimidating and her confidence was just alike. That's why when she first saw her, Luna thought that Lori and Lincoln were-

Luna shook her head violently and pushed away the nasty thought. She collected herself and calmed down. Her face didn't burn anymore and her heart slowed down to a nice beat. She forced her attention back into the box. Her eyes landed on that lady again but this time Luna managed to control herself. She scanned every inch of her body. Her brown locks that fell down her shoulders, her smooth belly that seemed so surreal, then to the space between her legs.

Luna's mouth went dry and her heart skipped a beat. Her breaths came out in short gasps as she lingered on the attractive woman longer and longer. Her hands moved on their own, reaching into the box and flipping to a random page.

She saw a side view of a woman leaning over a counter with a man behind her. His hands were on her butt and he had _his_ thing inside of _her_ thing. The lady looked like she was screaming but Lisa told her that Luna was confusing the looks of pleasure with torture. In a way, though, it did look like she was hurting but she's definitely not dying.

She looked at the other side of the page and saw a woman sucking on a man's penis, her hands on his balls and her breasts pressing against his body. The woman's eyes were looking straight at Luna which made her uneasy. Luna's hips twitched and her heart ran again.

Luna flipped through the pages, lingering and gawking over an image then turning to the next and doing the same. Images of sex, vaginas, and penises filled her mind. Her hip twitched again and something warm between her legs got her attention. It felt itchy, kinda. Goosebumps covered her skin and a noticeable breeze made her shiver. Her chest felt tight and her mind went fuzzy. She stopped flipping through the pages and breathed violently. Her legs felt weak, her spine was brittle and something in her stomach felt shallow.

She closed her legs to keep the warmth down but when her legs pressed together, an electric shock ran up her spine and through her body. It felt amazing. She bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly.

No, this was bad. Not here with all these people everywhere. She looked and made sure no one was around. Luckily, there wasn't. She stood there, taking in cool and slow breaths. She closed her eyes and thought about something else. Things to distract her. Things she hates.

Her hips thrust. Luna felt the tingling feeling between her legs dying down. Her body felt cold and her legs shook. Her breathing was rough and her eyes darted across the floor. Luna could've sworn she peed herself a little. But it wasn't a big deal. After a minute passed that felt more like an hour, Luna came back to reality.

The sound of the chattering people boomed in her ear and the same horrible music filled the air. Luna looked at the naughty magazine and pushed it aside. She looked at the large pile of magazines and sighed. She lifted them all up with her noodle arms and managed to drop them back into the cardboard box. She rearranged the boxes so they looked like no one touched them, but when her eyes fell down to her feet, she saw the same naughty magazine still out.

Luna picked it up and her heart skipped a beat. That feeling… it was amazing. It felt like there was supposed to be more but she couldn't be curious yet. Not here. She looked over her shoulder suspiciously and made sure no one was looking at her. She lifted her purple shirt and tucked the magazine in the waistband of her skirt in one swift motion.

She walked over to the far side of the store and stuck close to the walls. The place was still crowded, the register most of all. She saw the exit and contemplated whether she should run or not. But in her mind, she already decided. When the next person from the long line walked up to the register and distracted the employee, Luna got her sign to go.

Her shoulders were tensed up and her walk was very awkward. Her pace was in between a stroll and speedy walk. When she passed the exit, her heart dropped, fully expecting the sirens to go off, but when she looked back, there were no detectors on the exit. A wicked smile stretched across her face.

Ooo, she did something bad.

Luna walked past the crowds of people and navigated her way around the labyrinth of a mall. The nasty electro music pleasantly got lost in the distance and a certain feeling filled her stomach.

Was it regret? Excitement? Whatever it was, Luna needed to know more.

* * *

Lincoln leaned against the wall as Lori and Lana took their sweet time in the fitting room. The terrible elevator music filled the air of the store. He looked from side to side with a scowl on his face and saw plenty of women wandering around, some chattering and others just looking.

He looked a few feet in front of him and saw a rack full of bras and underwear of all sizes. He sighed. He turned his head to the left and looked at the stall just a couple of inches away.

"Can you guys hurry it up?" Lincoln asked bitterly. He asked Lola for help 'cuz he thought it'd be quicker but that wasn't the case. I guess. He should've known when he saw Lola and Lori walk in with bras, underwear, jeans, shirts, and other stuff.

But something odd happened a minute ago.

Lori walked in with all her clothes but she told Lola to wait outside. Lincoln told Lori that she needed help putting on her stuff but Lori said she was old enough to do it herself.

Lincoln replied, "No, you're not."

Then Lori flipped.

"What do you mean?" Lori barked. "I've been dressing myself all my life. And I'm not a kid anymore so you can't tell me what to do."

As far as Lincoln was concerned, Lori was just as much of a child as before. He understood that despite her mature body, Lori's mind was pretty much the same. She was clumsy, goofy, and annoying.

And she hasn't been dressing herself at all. Either Mom and Dad have to help her or Lincoln does.

"I don't care. You can barely move around and Lola needs to help you figure out the sizes." Lincoln said.

Lori walked into the empty stall and closed the door behind her.

"I said no," Lori spat back. "I can try these on myself."

"No?" Lincoln echoed. The word left a bitter taste in his mouth. Who the hell does she think she is? Lincoln pushed Lola aside and stood in front of the thin door. "Hey, stop being stubborn. Let Lola in."

"No," Lori said back. Lincoln's jaw dropped and his brows furrowed. Then his face darkened, his teeth clenched, and his head boiled.

He pushed open the door forcefully, lucky that Lori didn't lock it. The plastic door flung open and banged against the stall. Lori spun around and gasped. She had a bra in her hand and held it up to the mirror. Her eyes widened in shock then sharpened with anger.

"Lincoln," she growled. "What are you doing?"

Lincoln didn't reply. He looked at Lola who seemed to shrink away at the tension.

"Go in," Lincoln commanded. Lola slithers in with her shoulders tight and her head down. She stood safely in the corner. Lori noticed the scared Lola and she shook with hate.

"You're scaring her," Lori replied with her fists clenched and her eyes pointing like daggers.

"I don't care. I brought you here because I was trying to be nice. The last thing I need is for you to start acting stubborn and shit." Lincoln grabbed the door handle and slammed it shut. But he opened it again and looked at the two. And this went for both of them. "And the last time I checked, I'm the one in charge here. You listen to me, got it?"

Lincoln didn't wait for a reply. He slammed the door again and sighed. His breaths came out as chilly gasps. He looked up at the distance and saw a hand full of women looking at him. They turned away and went on their way. The embarrassment didn't bring him shame but it calmed him down. He didn't care if people saw. He was used to losing his shit in public. His parents got mad at him for doing it but he never learned. How could he? With nine sisters always bothering him, there's no room for change. Only consistency.

Expect Lily. She was an angel.

If all the sisters were like Lily, then maybe Lincoln would actually love them.

But that happened a while ago. Now Lincoln could hear Lori and Lola giggle and gasp as they messed around in there. Lincoln growled. They were supposed to check sizes but they were trying on clothes like this was a shopping spree. Random garments flew over the stall and landed nastily on the floor. Like hell they were gonna buy anything else. But that didn't bother him. Lincoln was the one with the money. And if it came down to it, he'd only buy the underwears and the bras and nothing else.

Lincoln turned his head to the left and looked at the stall.

"Are you guys done in there?" Lincoln called out.

And like magic, the stall door clicked and swung open. Lola walked out with a proud smile but kept her eyes inside. She waved a hand over and whispered something. Lola's smile dropped and so did her shoulders. She rolled her eyes, leaned a hand into the stall and pulled Lori out by her wrists.

Lori seemed timid. Her eyes were on the floor and her shoulders were up. A goofy smile stretched across her face and a scarlet blush coated her cheeks. She was wearing a matching bra and underwear with peppermint candy colors. And on the thin bridge between the two cups of the bra was a red ribbon.

Lincoln turned to Lola and her brows danced up and down, a proud smirk on her face and her mysterious confidence rising. She nodded ahead at Lori and started.

"So Linky," he hated that name. "What do you think?"

Lincoln looked at Lori. His eyes ran up to her head and down her toes. His eyes landed on the bra and then the underwear. His brows pinched with confusion and his mind started to work. He didn't notice Lori stir in place.

"I-is that a swimsuit?" Lincoln asked.

"Of course, silly," Lola said, her pride not falling and her smile still bright. "She's pretty, right?"

Lincoln's lids dropped and his face fell.

"Yeah, she's beautiful," Lincoln said blandly. "But did she try on any underwear yet? Or any bras?"

"Ugh," Lola dipped her head back and looked up at the ceiling.

Lola dragged herself back into the stall then came back out a second later. In one hand were some light blue bras and some matching underwear in the other. She tossed them both at Lincoln but he only reacted fast enough to catch a couple. The rest piled up beneath his feet. He looked up and snarled at Lola. An innocent smile and nervous laughter escaped her.

"Oopsie," Lola squeaked. "Um, how about you go ring those out while I help Lori change?"

Lincoln paired the underwear neatly and did the same for the bras. He looked up at Lola then turned to Lori. The swimsuit was definitely not her. Something about it made it seem so… boring. But that didn't matter to him. The sooner he was out of here, the better.

He maneuvered his way around the store until he found the checkout booth. His spirits died when he noticed a problem: there was a long line and only one employee. Lincoln dragged himself to the back of the line and a foul curse escaped his lips. The cute girl in front of him giggled.

* * *

Lori walked out of the fitting room with her regular clothes on. Lola pushed herself off the wall and shot her a pleasant smile.

"Ready?" Lola asked.

"Yeah," Lori looked over her shoulder and noticed the messy clothes that littered the fitting room. "Should we clean that up?"

"Nah," Lola waved a lazy hand as she walked away. "Someone else will do it."

Lori looked back and shrugged her shoulders. She ran over to Lola's and walked by her side.

"Do you think we should go find Lincoln?" Lori asked.

"Ew, no," Lola spat. "Forget him. Let's just wait outside. He'll find us there."

Lori didn't say anything after that. She just accepted what Lola said and followed her closely.

They walked out of the store, marched to the side and waited against the wall. The large JCPenny sign above them looked dangerously close. They stood and waited. Lori looked down at Lola but her focus was off in the distance. She was mad. Lori looked down at her feet and crossed her arms.

Lori did kind of understand. Lincoln was being a jerk. But Lincoln's in a bad mood literally all the time and for no reason.

It makes no sense. Mom and Dad once told her that Lincoln wasn't always like that. He was really excited to have a sister. When Lori was born and Mom and Dad brought her back from the hospital, they said Lincoln was crying when he held her in his arms. He was crying with joy.

Supposedly.

But it seemed like something straight out of a fairytale. Sounds like a nice story to listen to but impossible to believe in. Lori still believes in him, though. You know, believes that Lincoln's a nice guy and whatnot but he makes it very hard sometimes. When Lori remembers far back in her life, to the point where she tries to remember her first time every existing, she could've sworn that there was a memory where Lincoln did something really nice for her.

Something so nice and amazing that her heart fluttered and her soul danced. Whatever it was, she promised herself that no matter what Lincoln did after that point, he would always be the best brother ever.

But it must've been a dream. The last time Lincoln actually did anything nice for them was being gone for the whole day. Spent a night at Clyde's house or whatever. That day was kind of forgettable nonetheless. Mom and Dad were gone and the house was really quiet. Everything seemed dull. Mostly cuz Lincoln wasn't there so Mom and Dad had to trust the kids not to mess anything up. And do you know how stressful that is?

All the sisters just spent the day in their rooms.

It didn't matter, though. At least Lincoln was off their backs for once. Or maybe it was the other way around.

"Hey there good looking," Lori looked up and saw three teens. "What cooking?"

The one talking was in front of her. He was a somewhat tall boy, but smaller than Lori, with a bowl cut and a school jersey on. He must be a jock or something cuz he had muscles on his arms but a pizza face only a mother can love. It was red and yellowish and full of zits. It made Lori sick.

"What's a fine piece of work like yourself doing out here all alone?" The jock started. His eyes ran down her body then ended back up at her eyes. Lori looked down at Lola and saw her sharp eyes on the boys.

"Uh," Lori looked at the jocks nasty face. "Waiting for my brother."

"O-oh," the jock's smile fell. He spun his head and looked at his buddies. Then turned to Lori. "Older or younger?"

"Uh. Younger." Lori said. Then that dumb smile crawled back onto his face.

"Well then sweet stuff," the Jock pointed at his pals in the back. "How about me and the boys take you out for a ride downtown?"

"Um, no." Lola interrupted. "How about you losers beat it before I take your kneecaps?"

The fat teen walked up to her and towered over her like a behemoth. He chuckled and he jiggled as he did so.

"Big words coming from an ankle biter like you," his words came out slow and muffled. The fat in his neck must be clogging up his throat, Lola thought. Lola growled.

"Move out of the way fatso before I slap the tar out of you," Lola threatened. The scrawny goth in the back chuckled to himself.

"Damn, are you honestly gonna let her talk to you like that?" The goth said. The fat man turned and shot a mad glare at his friend. He turned back to Lola and placed his big, greasy hands on Lola's forehead. Then he pushed her.

Lola landed softly on her butt. Her anger faded but she wasn't scared either. She was more shocked if anything. Lola never expected for him to actually touch her and now that he did, what else can she do? He was taller and bigger than her. Lola decided to keep her mouth shut and stayed down.

"Hey, don't touch her," Lori shouted at the fatty. He turned and looked at her with a snigger. The jock cleared his throat and Lori turned to him. Lori looked down and saw that he was way to close. Their faces were inches apart. Lori gasped and backed up, her back pressing against the cold wall. The jock raised his arm and rested his palm right above Lori's left shoulder.

"Come on, beautiful," The jock's eyes ran down her cheek and stopped at her lips. He then looked back into her eyes with a creepy smile. "Let me show you a good time."

The jock closed his eyes, pursed his lips, and leaned in slowly. Lori's eyes widened. She wanted to turn and push him away but she couldn't find the strength to do so. She watched as he slowly and methodically worked his way closer and closer. Lori dipped her head back, the back of her scalp hitting the stone wall with a firm _thump_ but the jock pursued.

As he got closer, Lori could feel his warm breath lingering against her skin. His rancid smell made her nose twitch and her eyes water.

Should she scream? Hit him? Run?

Whatever it was, she needed to do it soon. Because, to be honest, this didn't feel right. She never wanted to kiss a nasty, older boy. Love never really crossed her mind. Now that she thinks about it, her first kiss with some random stranger in the mall isn't very ideal. But when was the last time she ever thought about kissing a boy? Did she think it was going to be some kind of fantasy? It didn't matter what her first kiss was like, as long as it isn't with this creep.

"Hey," Someone shouted. The jock turned and so did Lori. Lincoln stood at the entrance with a JCPenney bag in his hand. Lincoln looked at Lola on the ground then turned to the fat teen. Lincoln then looked at Lori then to the jock, but then he turned back to Lori. "What the hell are you doing?"

Lori opened her mouth but nothing came out. And when she did finally speak, she stuttered between her words.

"I-I, uh," Lori looked at Lola. Her plain look burning deep into Lori's mind. "W-we were-"

"Get over here," Lincoln commanded with venom in his tone.

Lori's heart skipped a beat. Her mind raced and her throat went dry. She swiftly dipped under the jock's arm and walked over to Lincoln's side with her head hung and eyes down.

Lincoln looked at the little diva on the floor.

"Lola," he called. The little princess looked over at him. His eyes were dark and his brows were pinched in anger. He nodded down to his feet. Lola got up and scurried over to his other side like a dog.

The teens huddled back up together and looked at Lincoln. Lincoln sighed and started.

"Look," Lincoln said tiredly. "I don't know what kind of bullshit they've been telling you, but you guys need to go,"

The jock nudged his fat friend and both of them chuckled. The goth in the back stayed quiet. The jock took a step forward and looked down at Lincoln with his arms crossed.

"Sorry there, short stack, but the girl's tagging with us," the jock said. He looked up at Lori and winked. "We've kinda already bonded. If you catch my drift."

Lincoln's nose wrinkled in disgust. Lori's taste in men is terrible. Lincoln turned and looked up and Lori. His lips twisted and his brow raised.

"Seriously," Lincoln said. He pointed a thumb over at the jock. "Him?"

Lori looked up from the ground and met Lincoln's eyes. He noticed the distress in her eyes. Lincoln sighed and shook his head. Lincoln turned back to the teens and finally decided on what to do.

"Alright," Lincoln said. "Take her."

The jock raised a brow and his friends mumbled to each other.

"What?" The jock asked.

"Take her," Lincoln repeated. "You said you bonded or whatever, so go ahead. Take her."

The jock looked at his buddies then turned back to Lincoln.

"You're kidding right?" The jock chucked to himself.

Lincoln looked over at Lori. She jumped. She was breathing heavily. Her eyes ran around in his, looking for something. A joke or a trick. But Lincoln's eyes were solid and dead. Lincoln nodded over at the teens. Lori shook her head.

"Go," Lincoln said.

"But Lincoln, I-" Lori said.

"I said _go_ ," Lincoln commanded.

Lori hung her head again and hesitantly slithered over to the Jock's side. The Jock's brows pinched at Lori's discomfort. He looked back at Lincoln and was ready to speak but the boy beat him to it.

"What now?" Lincoln asked. "Are you guys gonna tag up on her or what?"

An electric shock of disgust ran down the teen's spine. The corner of their lips turned and their eyes showed concern. Then, on a dime, Lincoln turned his attention on Lola

"And what were you doing on the ground?" Lincoln asked.

Lola looked up at Lincoln, her eyes wide and mouth shut. She bit her bottom lip and looked over at the fat teen. Then she looked down at her feet.

"I," Lola took a quick breath. "I was sitting down. I-I was tired and my feet were hurting so I thought that maybe it wouldn't be so bad if-"

Lincoln raised a dismissive hand and Lola stopped instantly.

"Alright. I don't care." Lincoln said. He looked back at the teens. They still stood there, their eyes on him. Lincoln jumped and feigned shock. "Holy shit, Why are you still here?"

The teens glanced amongst each other and chattered silently.

"What, you want the kid, too?" Lincoln asked. The teens all backed up and left Lori standing alone, completely helpless. "What the hell. You don't want her now or what? I thought you were all crazy over here." Lincoln rolled his eyes. He looked over at Lori. "Come over here."

Lori ran over to Lincoln's side. Her chest tightened and her eyes stung. She quietly gasped and a tear ran down her cheek. She quivered silently but the teens saw her. The jock sucked on his teeth and waved a hand at his friends.

"Man, fuck this," the jock said. He turned around and began walking away. His friends followed closely. "I don't mess with sluts anyways. Come on boys, let's hit the arcade."

The teens turned a corner and disappeared, a satisfied smirk on Lincoln's face. He sighed and turned over to Lori and Lola.

"Are you guys okay?" Lincoln asked pleasantly. His smile fell when he noticed Lori burying her face in her palms. Her shoulders bounced and tiny gasps escaped her. Lola held onto the helm of Lori's tank top and rubbed her back in comfort. Lincoln's brows pinched.

"Lori?" He called out.

Lori lifted her face and looked at Lincoln. Her eyes were red and puffy. Tiny bits of tears stuck to her lashes and also dried on her cheeks. She was hurt. She took in a heavy breath and tightened he shoulders. Her lips met and pressed into a fine line as she fought back the tears. She walked over to Lincoln and pushed him roughly by the shoulder.

Lincoln almost lost his balance but managed to steady himself on his feet. His heart leapt out of his chest. Lori marched down the mall with her hands balled and her back hunched. Lincoln looked at Lori as she lost herself in the crowd of people. Lincoln turned over to Lola.

"What's her prob-" Lincoln stopped.

Lola walked and stopped in front of Lincoln, same as Lori. But Lola wasn't crying. She was mad. Disappointed.

"You're a jerk, you know that?" Lola spat out. She walked past and followed the same path as Lori, trying to catch up to her older sister.

Lincoln stood there, alone. The straps of the plastic bag seemed to tighten around his soft arm. He brought the bag up to his face and then looked back where Lori ran off to. The rising, unidentifiable chatter of the mall rose louder and louder. In the mess of noise, Lincoln could hear the soft laughter of children. They seemed to laugh at him.

Lincoln then went down the same way as his sisters.


	5. Chapter 5

Lori barged through the house door with her face buried in her hands. She whimpered and sobbed loudly as she ran past the living room and right up the stairs.

Lincoln came through the door after, bits of sweat ran down his smooth forehead and he breathed heavily.

"Lori," Lincoln called out but she ignored him.

He barely got a glimpse of Lori before she turned to corner and went to her room. His shoulders fell and there was silence for a second. He heard a torrent of footsteps behind him, the rapid tapping of shoes against the wooden porch. Lynn came in first.

"What happened?" Lynn asked instinctively.

Lincoln didn't turn around. He kept his eyes up at the stairs.

"I don't know," Lincoln lied. "She was like that after we left the mall."

The rest of the kids stormed in. Luna huffed and puffed and Luan wheezed. Leni then came in sweating with Lily. Lola slithered in with her face twisted and her mood bitter. Her twin followed behind with a worried face and then Lucy and Lisa came after.

"Liar," Lola spat out. Lincoln flinched and his grip on the plastic bag tightened. The sisters turned to Lola with a rising curiosity. The little diva was burning a nasty look behind Lincoln's head. Her nose wrinkled and her eyes darkened "You hurt her feelings."

"What?" Lynn asked quietly. " What do you mean?"

Lincoln felt all their eyes pressing on his back. He dipped his head back and groaned obnoxiously. He rolled his eyes and then turned to his sisters. He stood up straight and looked down at them, trying to preserve as much of his authoritarian look as possible.

"Alright, real talk," Lincoln started. "There was a bunch of boys picking on Lori at the mall and I guess she's still shaken up about it."

"But weren't you there?" Luan pressed. "What did you do?"

"Yeah, Lincoln," Lola started again. "Tell them what you did."

Lincoln glared at her and for the first time, she didn't back down. Lincoln pulled his gaze away and looked back at the group of his sisters.

"I scared them and they ran off," Lincoln said. "That's it."

His sisters didn't have time to react before Lola finally blew up.

"Liar," Lola shouted again. She faced her sister and pointed an accusing finger at Lincoln. The boy snarled at Lola again, both giving off bad vibes like two advocates trying to persuade a gullible crowd. "He handed Lori over to some boys. He didn't do anything."

"Whoa there," Lynn raised her handed and halted them. Lynn turned to Lola. "What do you mean Lincoln just handed her over?"

Everyone stood quietly and waited. Even Lincoln.

"So, me and Lori were outside the store, right?" Lola said, looking at her sisters and making sure they were paying attention. "And these group of teens show up and start hitting on Lori. Well, only one of them was doing it but whatever. And it was obvious she was uncomfortable. Then Lincoln showed up and he tells her to go with them like he didn't care."

Lynn turned to Lincoln and the rest of the sisters followed.

"Is that true?" Lynn asked.

Lincoln looked at Lynn then to the floor. A new feeling was running through his body, something completely foreign and alien to him. It was like a feeling of hunger. The painful type of hunger.

"I mean, yeah, but-" Lincoln was interrupted by the gasps and loud chatter of his sisters. Some looked at him then turned away quickly. They looked at him like a monster or some savage animal. Lincoln raised his voice and mocked Lola. "But I didn't _hand her over_. I saw you guys were in trouble so I helped out. You guys should be thanking me."

Lynn turned to Lola and then the sisters did the same. They waited for the little girl to start.

Lola squinted her eyes at Lincoln and tilted her head a bit. She had her hands on her hips and nodded.

"Oh, yeah, we're real thankful," Lola said sarcastically. "That's why I'm pissed and Lori's crying in her fucking room."

A pregnant silence fell on the house. Mom and Dad always taught them not to curse, It was nasty and rude, but Lincoln seemed like he was the only one who took that rule to the next level. He looked at Lola, his anger folded and changed focus.

"Hey, watch your mouth. We didn't teach you to talk like that." Lincoln's words dripped with caution.

The little diva rolled her eyes in response.

"Oh, please. I learned it from you." Lola said. She turned to her sisters and they all stared at her worryingly, then Lola turned back to Lincoln."We all learn it from you. It like you're the biggest hypocrite when it comes to these kinds of things. You scream at us, you bullying us and it's like you don't even care about us."

Lincoln flinched. His heart skipped a beat and something inside his stomach twisted. He felt sick.

"Of course I care about you. I care about all of you." Lincoln said half-heartedly.

"Well, you have a weird way of showing it," Lola said through her teeth. Lincoln felt his head boiling. Show them a bit of sentimentality and this is how they treat you. Fine then.

"Look here, you little brat," Lincoln growled. "If I didn't care about you guys, then I wouldn't be standing here talking to you. I wouldn't have taken any of you to the mall. I wouldn't have made you dinner or breakfast. I wouldn't have done half of the shit that I've done just to make you guys happy. You think I enjoy devoting every second of every day of my life just so you idiots don't kill yourselves?"

Leni tried to ride down a tall, steep hill on the very first day she learned to ride a bike. The same steep hill where a bunch of boys break their bones. Leni started creeping down the hill before Lincoln even noticed. He got in the way of the speeding bike on time but scraped the fuck out of his leg. Lincoln was the one teaching her to ride. Mom and Dad were working.

"Do you honestly think I enjoy sacrificing my time so you guys can do whatever want?"

Luna had a guitar lesson a couple months ago. Lincoln had to take her. They left the house an hour early since they had to walk all the way there. He had to carry Luna's big guitar case cuz she was too small to carry it herself. And even with all the time they had, they barely made it in time. Lincoln got there sweaty and tired as hell. Luna took the case and ran off to her class without a word. Lincoln sat outside and fell asleep for two hours. When the class was finally over, Luna woke him up and they had to walk all the way back home. Lincoln carried the case again. Mom and Dad were working.

"My life was way much more simpler before you guys were born."

A couple of years ago, Lynn had a baseball game coming up. She said she wanted to practice but Dad didn't want to help her. Dad made Lincoln do it. They practiced together in the backyard. Lincoln was mumbling to himself cuz he was supposed to hang out with Ronnie Anne. A date, more like. He had it planned out for weeks. A romantic day full of love and effort. But instead, he was stuck playing with Lynn. Then he threw the ball for the hundredth time and the crack of the bat filled his ear. He focused just on time as the stone baseball hit him in the mouth. His tooth got chipped and there was a lot of bleeding. Mom and Dad were watching TV. But then they had to take him to a dentist.

"And now you're standing there, thinking you can give me shit about how I don't care."

When the twins were born, they cried just about every night. And since they were both sleeping upstairs, Lincoln was always the first to wake up. Mom and Dad slept downstairs with a baby monitor that never worked. Or maybe they just ignored it. Lincoln had to drag himself out of his room and put them back to sleep. But then the other twin would wake up crying too. Then he'd have to put her to sleep too. It was tiring and cruel. He woke up every morning feeling sluggish and numb but he did it without complaining.

"I know I'm not the best brother you idiots want me to be but I'm trying. I'm the best you've got and you're what I've got. And all we can do is just deal with it. But you want a better brother right? If that's what… what you-" Lincoln paused. His phone vibrated again. He groaned. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and looked at the screen with a raised brow. He answered the call and pressed the phone against his ear.

"Hello?" Lincoln started bitterly. The sisters looked at each other and shared knowing glances. Lola kept her eyes on the ground. Her shoulders were firm and her head was hung. She wasn't angry anymore. Well, not as much. But Lincoln never learned and that's what bothered her the most. "Oh, yeah. From the mall, right? Um…"

Lincoln looked off to the side and started snapping his fingers. His face scrunched up and his mind started working. There was a mumble from the phone that even the sisters could hear.

"Yeah," Lincoln said enthusiastically. "Jordan. There we go. So what's up?"

There was intense silence between everyone.

"Right." Lincoln faked a chuckle that made him sound douchey. Lincoln listened closely. The fast mumbling on the other side of the phone was kind of high pitched and squeaky, the words came out fast and aimless like nonsense. "Yeah, right. Me?"

Lincoln turned and looked at his sisters. They flinched but didn't dare look away.

"Nothing much. Just chilling with my sisters." Lincoln added. "Watching TV. I'm kinda bored, though."

The mumbling went on. Then it quickly stopped.

"Oh, no. They're cool. There's just nothing good on, that's all."

The chatter from the phone went on. Lincoln's face lit up. His brows raised and a smile crept on his face. He turned to the side and ignored his sisters, paying full attention to the phone.

"Today?" Lincoln asked, his voice dripping with charm and uncertainty. There was a quick mumble. "Right now?" Then another mumble. "My parents aren't home, just to let you know." The sisters could see a devilish smile stretch across his face, from ear to ear. His eyes lowered and seemed clouded in a mysterious passion. "Fine by me. Alright, see you in a few."

Lincoln looked at his phone with a dopey smile, pressed a button then shoved the phone into his pocket. He looked at his sisters and his smile dropped.

"Alright, so here's what's gonna happen," Lincoln said. "I'm having a friend over and I don't want you guys ruining anything. You already give me enough trouble as it is and I don't want you guys scaring her off."

Lincoln walked over to the threshold of the dining room. He stopped and turned back to his sisters.

"You guys are gonna go to your rooms and if any of you so much as take one step outside, I'm literally gonna turn _all_ of you into human pretzels. I don't even want know you guys are here. That's how quiet I want you to be. Got it?"

The sisters shook their heads obediently.

"Good," Lincoln turned around the corner and into the kitchen. Then he came back and peaked at his sisters again. "Dinner's at 5. After that, you can do whatever you want."

Lincoln went into the kitchen again and started preparing dinner. He was going to make something nice and simple. Chicken and rice with some steamed veggies. Nothing much. Just enough to impress her. He'll buy pizza for his sisters later. They liked that stuff anyway.

And besides, they didn't appreciate his cooking as much as he thought. So what's the point then? But he was done with his sisters. He was so close to blowing up too. Lola was being more rebellious and annoying than she's ever been.

Lincoln walked over to the sink and turned the faucet. His hands rubbed against each other roughly under the warm water. Then he added some soap and cleaned his hands and fingers thoroughly again. The image of Lori's pained face flashed across his mind. And he smiled wickedly. He didn't know why.

He guessed it's probably because he hasn't seen her that upset in a long time. He almost forgot that Lori can get mad and cry. After all, she was always the one that was trying to act ' _mature'_. She was the second oldest and Lincoln thought that Lori saw it as a responsibility. As if something happened to Lincoln, then she'd be second in command. Like a warrior or a leader.

But she was neither and Lincoln knew that well. Back in the mall, despite her height and her freighting glare, Lori ended up trapped in the corner like a bunny in the jaws of a fox. Lola was obviously weak and timid even though she barked louder than any of the sisters. But seeing them both so vulnerable and desperate did make Lincoln feel something. A bit like fear. Something like worry and concern. And anger.

He wanted to teach those dumbass teens a lesson, pummel them to the ground and bash in their skulls. He wanted to do something but Lincoln knew himself well.

Lincoln had all the appearance of it but he was no fighter. He was smart, though. Very smart. He fought with his mind, gambled with emotions, and played his cards perfectly.

Well, as best he could.

He turned the faucet and the water stopped. He dried his hands off with a rag and tossed it randomly on the counter. He walked over to the fridge, placed a firm hand on the handle then stopped.

He turned and looked back into the dining room. His imagination slithered across the floor, past the living room, up the stairs and stopped at Lori's door. She was hurt. Obviously. She was mad at Lincoln, much like Lola, there was no doubt about that. But Lincoln was used to it. Amongst his sisters, he was the bad guy, the scapegoat that everyone can point fingers at and blame.

He definitely didn't do anything to help his case because, in fact, he liked being the bad guy. When he put his foot down, his sisters respected him, feared him, and he needed that so they would listen to him. He was the bad guy.

But something felt bad.

His mind went back to Lori. Her hurt face and running emotions filled his heart with… dread. He shook his head and cleared his thoughts. Don't worry about Lori, he told himself. His other sisters are probably already making her feel better. She'll get over it soon.

Right now, focus on making dinner for two. He opened the fridge and went on.

* * *

Lincoln set up the table nicely. A white tablecloth that ran down the length of the table, two lit candles, plates that were at both ends, and soft classical music that sounded more like a natural echo.

The doorbell rang and Lincoln jumped up nervously. He ran over to the door but stopped and looked at the table for a quick second, making sure everything was perfect. He nodded and then looked at himself. He was wearing the same orange polo and jeans but he didn't care. The dinner was for show, not him.

Lincoln marches over to the door, stopped and braced himself. He took in a quick breath, got rid of his nerves and threw on a smirk.

He opened the door and there she was. Jordan stood there looking down at her phone. She was wearing the same thing she was wearing at the mall: a yellow shirt and teal skirt. She glanced up and saw Lincoln, a hopeless smile stretched across her face and her features brightened.

"Hey, Lincoln." She greeted optimistically.

"Hey, there Jaiden," Lincoln said.

"Jordan," she correct.

"Right," Lincoln said without skipping a beat. They stood there for a second in silence. Then Lincoln jumped into action. He moved aside and waved a hand through the door. "Come on in, m'lady. Dinner's getting cold."

Jordan raised a hand to her mouth and giggled at Lincoln's silliness. She bowed like an idiot and walked in with a graceful stroll. Lincoln closed the door and turned to Jordan. She waited there under the stairs, respectful enough not to roam around like some intruder.

Lincoln took the lead and walked into the dining room. Jordan followed wordlessly and she was greeted with an amazing sight.

A candlelit dinner.

The lights were off and the sunshine creeping through the curtains made the room glow in a low, dim orange. She turned over to Lincoln with a smirk on her face.

"Fancy _and_ romantic," Jordan said. "What's the occasion?" She asked jokingly.

Lincoln shrugged with a proud smile on his face.

"Just felt like it," Lincoln answered nonchalantly. He waved a hand over and his joy skyrocketed. "Look, come here."

Lincoln marched over to the table and stood aside with a smile. Jordan followed and stopped in front of him with a raised brow. Lincoln pointed at the red candle.

"Look at those pillar candles. Costs around two thousand dollars and it smells amazing." Lincoln pointed at the tablecloth. "This, sewn by the delicate hands of a wise monk. Costs around five hundred bucks." Then Lincoln pointed at the food. "And that, I made myself. It costs around one billion dollars but for you, free of charge." Lincoln said seductively.

Jordan giggled and snorted.

"You're a dork," she said.

"And you're beautiful. What's your point?" Lincoln said. Lincoln walked over to the nearest end of the table and pulled out the chair. He looked over at Jordan with a smug grin.

She giggled again, walked over and took her seat. Lincoln was being painfully cliche with his advances but that only worked as a facade. He wouldn't say it but Lincoln found that being the annoying nice guy was definitely not him, but if he played himself out to be one, then he'd give her a complete 180 on his personality. She'd be curious, wanting to know more. And it worked every time.

And so, Lincoln slowly dropped the high manners. He stopped the candles, opened the curtains and turned on the lights. He moved his plate and sat closer to her, changed his behavior a bit and threw in some crude jokes to lighten to mood.

And when dinner was done, Lincoln took her plate and tossed it in the sink. She said his cooking was delicious. And of course, it was. Everything Lincoln cooked was delicious. His Dad taught him well.

They marched off to the living room. The house felt empty and silent. The living room lost most of its liveliness and wound up vacant and a bit gloomy. Then, a surge of boldness ran through Lincoln's body.

"Hey," Lincoln called. "How about we head up to my room?"

Jordan looked at him then a smirk stretched across her face. Her cheeks shimmered with a faint crimson.

"A-alright, yeah sure." Jordan sounded drunk and hopeless. Lincoln couldn't tell why but before Lincoln actually realized, he was already climbing up the stairs with Jordan's hand in his. Jordan's annoying giggles filled the hall as Lincoln lead her to his room and closed the door behind her.

Down the hall, Luna peeked through her door and made sure Lincoln was in his room. She didn't know what Lincoln and that girl were gonna do in there but she didn't care. She slithered back into her room and closed the door gently. But still, the dangerous click rang in the air like gunfire. Lincoln said he didn't want any of them to leave their room and Luna wasn't going to challenge that.

Lincoln was mad and she wasn't going to set him any further over the edge. She had no idea what happened at the mall or what Lincoln did, but she wasn't going to push the topic.

She shot a quick glance over at Luan. Her comedian sister was in her bed, reading a book with her funny glasses. Luna walked over to the bed and climbed up to the top. It was painfully quite among them, like a rainy day that was slow and dull. But Luna didn't mind. The whole house was fairly quiet.

Luna laid back in her bed and looked up at the design of the ceiling. She traced every little crack and bump for a minute before she shifted around. She dug a hand under her soft pillow and pulled out the magazine she had stolen, moving slowly and carefully, working with caution as to not make a sound.

She let the magazine rest on her belly as she let her heart slow down. She heard silence, and beneath her a page flipped. She sighed and took the magazine in her greedy hands. She tore open to a random page and was met with a lewd glance of a woman's mature body.

Luna closed the magazine before she could make out any other details. But sure enough, that sinking feeling in her stomach morphed into a feeling of satisfaction. A quick glance was all it too, huh?

No, her mind was running with the previous images of sex and passion. The same feeling she had while in the store was so distant yet so close. The vivid memories of cloudy thoughts and itchiness brought out in her a faint need. But she couldn't be curious now. Luan was right below her.

Luna leaned over the edge a bit, reared her ear and focused. Luna heared Luan sniffle and then flip a page. Luan was really engrossed in her books when she got in the mood. Once Luan was into it, it wasn't easy getting her out. Luna leaned back into her pillow and laid back. She pulled up the magazine and opened it randomly. Her nose was practically buried into the magazine this time. Her eyes glanced over smooth skin, delicate hair, and several other intimate parts.

She flipped a page and her fingers touched a page that was heavy and smooth like plastic. She looked at it and saw bright colors and prices. They were the private parts of boys and nothing else, but in color. She looked up at the title above and it said 'Dildos'.

"Dildo?" Luna said under her breath. The word seemed foreign, like a word from another language. It didn't register in her mind but when she thought about it, boys had the same thing.

That must be what they're called then. Her eyes scanned the page some more and saw plenty of dildos that varied in shape and sizes. The colors seemed bright and each piece was so different and unique. As if it was meant to be collected. She knew very well where those were supposed to go. Boys had dildos on their bodies too so why were they selling them?

Luna could easily make out the difference in size. The plastic dildos were much more bigger and stylish than a boys dildo. There was one that seemed like a cactus with a little point at the far end. There was another that looked like almost like glass and another that had a weird twist to it. The colors changed from looking like flesh to the pattern of a rainbow.

She flipped and looked at the back of the page. It was the same thing but the dildos were so much smaller. But there was another part to it. It was connected with a small remote. She looked at another and saw that it one of them looked like a microphone. She looked up at the title and it read 'vibrators'.

She couldn't tell the difference between the dildo or vibrator, expect the obvious change in size. And that small remote thing. But they had different names so there must be something different too. But she didn't care about that.

She flipped a page and completely neglected what she just saw. The next image was of two girls kissing with their big butts facing her. Their plump bottoms stuck out proudly. Their breasts pressed together as intensely as their lips. Luna's eyes lingered on their bottoms, looking at the crack that led her eyes to the space between their legs.

Her heart raced and that same tingling feeling rushed through her body. Her mind went blank and her breath was rugged. She was getting itchy down there again. Her mouth went dry and so did her lips. Her tongue stuck out and lightly brushed over her lips. Then she bit down on the corner of her lips and fought the tingling sensation back. Her hips thrust to the side. She foot shook and her hand instinctively rested on her belly. Her fingers worked away, parting the space between her shirt and stomach. Her hands slithered past the waistband of her skirt and touched her skin. An electric joy ran down her spine that made her quiver.

Her fingers touched her firm belly and kept going down further. When Luna felt the soft fabric of her underwear, she was rudely interrupted by Luan as the comedian shot her head up over the edge with her Groucho glasses on.

"Hey, Luna," Luan started, ignorant and still lost. "What do you get when y-you-"

Luan looked up at her sister's state, the magazine in Luna's hand, the other down her skirt, and Luna's face painted in red.

Luna quickly reacted. She closed the magazine and let it dropped over her chest. She yanked her hand away from her waist and buried it into the soft sheet covers, clutching it roughly and sinking her nails into the fabric. Her other hand was on the corner of the magazine, wondering whether if she should still hide it or not. Either way, Luna was too shocked to even move.

Luan looked down at the magazine and saw the title. She gasped and her eyes widened. She looked up at Luna.

"What were you doing?" Luan asked. "W-where did you get that?"

Luna then grabbed the magazine and tucked it under her pillow like an idiot. She looked at Luan with her face dripping with shame and embarrassment. That feeling of flying and the tickles faded away as quickly as it came. Then she said the first thing that came to mind.

"T-that wasn't what it looked like," Luna tried desperately. "I promise. I-it was a music magazine."

Luan's puffed her cheeks and glared at her Luna. She wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what she saw. Luan leaned over and reached under Luna's pillow. She pulled out the magazine and brought it close. Luna had no time to react. Luna gasped and the same bright crimson touched her cheeks.

"Hey, wait. Stop." Luna tried to reach for the magazine but Luan let go of the ladder and landed on the floor. She looked at the magazine like an unknown specimen. She flipped it over to the back, opened it to a random page but didn't flinch at all. She flipped past another page and then closed. She sighed and looked up and Luna. The little rocker had her head peeled over the corner like a shy squirrel.

"Is this Lincoln's?" Luan asked. The thought of it sent a shiver and another wave of embarrassment through Luna.

"W-what?" Luna asked, perplexed and scared. "No, no. It isn't. It's mine."

"Really?" Luan looked at the magazine then turned back to Luna. "Where did you get it?"

"A friend gave it to me," Luna stated.

Luan opened her mouth the speak but stopped and then turned to the magazine again. Her brows pinched and she hummed completely lost in thought. The cover of the girl didn't affect her like Luna thought it would. Luan was younger so she should be more in the mist about this kind of stuff than Luna, right? So why was she acting like she didn't care?

"You know," Luan started. "I think we're a little too young to have something like this."

Luna looked down at her hands. They tightly pressed around her crossed legs and looked tougher than she remembered.

"I know," Luna mumbled. Luan looked at her sister and her eyes narrowed.

"Where did you _actually_ get this?" Luan asked again.

"I'm telling you, a friend gave it to me," Luna repeated.

Luan shook her head and sighed. She walked over to the beds and stretched up to Luna. Luan handed the dirty magazine back and wiped her hands on her skirt, wiping away the metaphorical filth off her fingers.

"Okay," Luan said. "Just make sure Lincoln doesn't catch you doing… that." Luan waved a hand over Luna like a spell, but Luan's face was scrunched up in disgust.

"I know," Luna mumbled. "I-I'm just trying to figure something out."

"Hm," Luan raised a brow and her interest did so as well. "What do you mean?"

Luna was contemplating whether she should tell Luan or not, after all, she was still young and inexperienced as she was. But what did she have to lose? She was just as lost as ever.

"I don't know," Luna looked down at her feet and something burned the back of her neck. She fought back the urge to scratch at it and kept her hands still. "It's just, I keep getting these funny feelings and I don't know what to do."

Luan looked at Luna, her eyes going past her appearance and criticizing every inch of her mind. The little comedian was far past understanding. She knew very well what Luna was talking about, what she was going through. And of course, she was lost and curious. Mom and Dad were never there to explain it to them. But there was one person that did.

Another person besides Lincoln.

"You should talk to Lisa," Luan recommended. "I know she can be kind of… wordy, but she really helped me out when I needed her."

Luna looked over the edge and down at her sister.

"You?" Luna asked. Luan felt shameful. She rubbed a tender hand down the side her arm and looked off to the ground. A light blush met her face.

"Yeah," Luan said silently. "I don't wanna talk about it."

Luna looked at Luan, trying to find any hint of an answer. Did she have the same problem as Luna?

No, this wasn't a problem. Luna was just confused. She needed to know what her body was doing. She needed to know what these feeling were and why it was happening. Looking at Luan made her wonder if she's been through the same thing, and in her bitter mind of jealousy, Luna refused to believe so. Luan was younger than her, sure by just a year, but still the younger siblings. There's no way she'd know. This was grown-up stuff. Luna was a grown-up and Luan wasn't.

Yet.

Luna shifted from her bed, got up, and jumped down from the ladder with a light thud. She landed in front of her sister and was close to losing her balance but managed. Luna looked up at Luan and smiled.

"Thanks," Luna said. "For, you know, not making a big deal out of this or making fun of me."

Luan smiles.

"No problem, sis," Luan looked at Luna as she headed to the door. Before Luna could get her hand on the door, Luan gasped loudly. The comedian ran over, grabbed Luna by the shoulder and yanked her away from the door. "Whoa, whoa. What are you doing?"

Luna had her hand out, frozen as she reached for the door.

"Um, going to Lisa's room like you said," Luna said, unsure of herself. "Right?"

"But Lincoln said not to leave our rooms," Luan cowered and shook with fear. His words echoed in her head and his rage still fresh in her memories. He was mad but quickly changed when he got that call. His adjustment was frighteningly smooth and made Luan wonder how well Lincoln could control himself. One second he was hitting their heads off and the next second he didn't even care.

Luna rolled her eyes.

"Oh, relax. He's in his room." Luna stated.

Lincoln was a real lazy couch potato when he got in the mood. He would stay in his room for hours when he had the chance. She didn't know why but it was most likely that privacy thing he always mentioned. He never really had any time to himself, and Luna could understand that. But to be fair, none of them had any time or privacy to themselves. Lincoln only felt like he deserved it because he was older.

It made her kind of mad, but she didn't strive off anger like most of her sisters. Luna never pointed fingers and whined, she just did things her way. Like that one time where she was too embarrassed to play music in her room because she was terrible at it and Luan was there. So, instead of crying about it, she just took the extra step and played in the garage. Sure it was cramped and filthy but it was still her little space. When she got better, to her own ears at least, she played in her room again.

"What if he sees you?" Luan asked.

"He won't," Luna replied. "Believe me."

Luan looked at Luna with worried eyes. Luan's grip on Luna lightened and then she eventually let her go.

"Alright," Luan said. "But try to be quite."

"I know. Don't worry," Luna reached for the knob, turned it and slithered out the room. When she was out in the hallway, she turned back to the door and gently closed it. She turned the knob and closed it slowly, trying to avoid that loud clicking of the lock. The clicking rang out anyways and her shoulders grew tense but she still managed to close the door. She waited for a bit for the silence to fall over her.

She found comfort in the quiet and finally let her nerves trickle away. Her shoulders fell and her heart eased. She turned back around and her attention went right to Lori's door.

Luna felt bad for her sisters. Clearly something happened but she wasn't stubborn enough to press for any more information than what she was already given. She, much like most of her sisters, gave Lori her space. Whatever happened at the mall, Luna had no doubt that it was Lincoln's fault. He was a crude person that didn't back down easily. He didn't like admitting anything about himself. He never likes saying he was wrong, he never likes saying anything that bothers him, and he never shows any sign of remorse.

The last time Lincoln's did something really fucked up to any of them was… damn, she couldn't remember. She would say that every day with Lincoln was a day in hell. But, as kids, they tried to make the best of it. After all, Lincoln wasn't a monster. There were times where he was nice in his own way. He played with them a handful of times and it truly felt like he cared for them. Or he acted like he did.

Luna shook her head. There was an eerie feeling about crawling down the corridor. The walls stretched into the distance and the atmosphere felt darkened. Every step she took closer to Lincoln's room felt like another beat that skipped in her heart. But she needed to talk to Lisa. Luna needed desperately to know what these feelings were. She wasn't crazy or anything, she was just… uninformed. And who best to help her than the smartest sister she had.

And yet, why was Lisa right next to Lincoln's room?

It would've been easier if Lisa came to her, but maybe that was asking for too much. No, she can't turn back now. Lincoln never got out of his room anyways. There was a girl in there. When Ronnie Anne comes over, Lincoln and her pretty much spent the whole day together. But usually, he only ever invites her when mom and dad are gone. Weird.

But that didn't matter. Luna shuffled a foot across the carpet, her purple socks scratched across the floor and barely made an audible hiss, but it was still enough to send her nerves rocketing. As she came closer to Lisa's room, the fine details of Lincoln's door send chills running down her spine.

He put it very lightly, but Lincoln _would_ turn them into human pretzels. And so much pressure was riding on her shoulder is she was caught. All her sisters would suffer the consequences for her little act. It almost made the human pretzel thing feel harmless. For a bit, Lima sounds red where Lincoln found that phrase "I'll turn you into a human pretzel."

It sounded silly but so threatening at the same time. Especially coming from him, since he's actually hit them before. She shook her head.

Lisa's door was to her side, the knob inches away. All Luna needed to do was go in. Forget knocking. Lincoln might hear. But something gave her pause. Mumbling coming from Lincoln's room. A faint giggle and more unknown gibberish coming from the other side. The words were so dull, like being blown away in the breeze, but she could just about guess what was being said. It was only after a minute of silence before the words were clear. Luna raised her hand and gently wrapped her fingers around the knob, but her focus was completely on Lincoln's room.

"You sure we should be doing this know? Didn't you say your sisters were home?"

"What? No, I said they were staying at a friends house. You know, hanging out and play dates. Kids stuff."

"Right," A low chuckle filled the air that almost sounded more than it should've. It sounded seductive, like a passionate song from a siren. "What are you waiting for then, _bunny boy_?"

There was another chuckle.

"I said don't call me that," the words were lazy and drunk with lust. His words were easily matched with a face that Luna imagined as a charming smile.

Luna gasped lightly. She never heard Lincoln laugh before. Well, she has, but it's been so long. She almost forgot what it sounded like. It was… normal. Just like any other chuckle or giggle. He sounded happy, and if Luna could take a look inside, she'd bet that Lincoln would have a smile on his face that would've stopped her heart.

What were they doing in there? What made Lincoln laugh like that?

Luna almost forgot about Lisa. Her other hand grew greedy. She took a couple steps to Lincoln's room and reached for the knob. Her mind ran blank. Her curiosity rose above her sense. She heard a thump and the ground slightly shook beneath her. She heard a grunt come from Lincoln's room.

"Want anything?" Lincoln's voice came from the other side. "Water? Juice?" There was a slight pause. "Me?"

The girl gasped and then giggled. That sound was starting to annoy Luna. The laughing, the giggling that almost sounded forced, and the mystery of Lincoln.

"Water's fine, bunny boy," the girl said.

There was quiet. There was loud thumping, then the bed squeaked and the girl shrieked. Then she started laughing. It sounded genuine this time.

"I said don't call me that," Lincoln said, his tone dripping with silliness. Then the thumbing came closer to Luna. It was slow but quick enough to send Luna into a frenzy. She acted quick.

Luna took a long leap over to Lisa's door, opened to the door and slithered in. She barely closed the door gently behind her but didn't. Light crept through the crack and Luna looked out, completely negligent of her ill manners or anything around her. She looked through the crack just as Lincoln's door flew open. He walked out, his belt was unbuckled and pointing out like spikes. His hair was ruffled up and his shirt was tickled. He walked in his socks and his pants barely hung around his hip.

Luna can make the white waistband of his underwear and a slight touch of crimson red running lower. He had a goofy smile on his face and his checks were faint with a blush. He walked down the hall with an empty gaze in his eyes and marched down the stairs like a mindless zombie.

When his pounding steps faded, Luna cracked open the door and peeked her head out. His bedroom door was wide open and she could make out his table and his laptop. If she moved out a little more, she would be able to see his bed and the girl, but Luna was scared that the girl would see her too.

Then something on the floor caught her attention. A bright yellow shirt that definitely wasn't Lincoln's. There was a pile of shoes that was a pair of Lincoln's sneakers and another unknown pair.

They were taking off their clothes.

Luna gasped. What was that girl doing? Was she fully naked? Luna found the courage to take a step out. She leaned all her weight on one leg and slowly leaned over to Lincoln's room. She was most likely on his bed. But before she got a glance, she heard a loud creak come from the stairs. She yelped like a mouse and scurried back into the room. She fully closed and locked the door while she had the chance. Then she waited.

Lincoln as Lincoln passed by Lisa's room, he cursed quietly but it was enough for Luna to hear. Luna's legs shook violently and when Lincoln finally walked back into his room and slammed the door behind him, Luna calmed down.

She let out a sigh of relief and her shoulders fell. Someone cleared their throat and Luna jumped.

Luna looked up and saw Lisa looking at her with critical eyes. Her arms were crossed and her back straight. Her face was deadpan and serious. Luna heard a light snoring coming to the side. She looked over and saw Lily sleeping in her bed, the light purple blanket from ages ago over her body like an outline. Her blonde, short hair poked up like a sore thumb and waved as she slept.

Luna looked back over at Lisa and made a pitiful smile.

"Sorry," Luna said quietly. Lisa rolled her eyes. She turned back around and focused back on her table, looking at her contraptions and chemicals.

"You know we aren't supposed to be out of our rooms, right?" Lisa asked. Her eye on a fixed spot and her hands folded behind her back, like a strict sister.

"I know, I just… needed to ask you something," Luna mumbled.

Lisa turned and shot a glance at Luna over her shoulders.

"Ask me something?" Lisa repeated.

"Y-yeah, I was just a- a bit-" A shuffle in the dark corner of the room caught Luna's attention. A dirty cardboard box with a couple hardcover books stacked on top. Did it just move?

Silence filled the room. Everything was still, even Lily's breathing seemed to grow faint. Lisa looked over at the box with her lips pressed tightly and her eyes wide. Luna was about to take her eyes away but the cardboard box jumped and rattled violently. The heavy books on top shuffled and danced dangerously.

Lisa cursed and ran over to the box. She looked around and made weird side steps, trying to figure where to go and what to do. She reached over to her table and grabbed a couple more books. She threw them on top and made sure the box didn't crumble under the weight. The rattling stopped and Luna could've sworn she heard a squeak.

Lisa shuffled back in front of Luna. The little genius fixed her classes and turned back around. Her back was facing Luna and her serious demeanor was weakly set.

"Ask me something?" Lisa looked ahead and pushed her glasses up to the bridge of her nose with her thumb. "Very well then. I'll allow it."

And so, Luna let her curiosity run wild, in the hopes that Lisa wouldn't judge as long as Luna didn't ask about the box. No agreements were made, it was just common sense. A bit of sisterly understanding. And with every question Luna asked, Lisa delivered her swift response with professional maturity. After all, Lisa had this talk before. So, this time with Luna, it was much more easier explaining things.

She was just growing up, going through grownup stuff. The little rocker seemed satisfied with this. But something didn't sit well with Lisa as their little conversation continued: Luna was trending on the thin line of curiosity and experimental.

Not even Lori, being the oldest, went that far.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, sorry for the long wait, guys. I've had a lot of work to do and I've been losing a lot of my motivation to write, but I got it back again. Just to let you guys know, Ronnie Anne didn't move out. So, there's that. And another thing, the ending of this might seem like a cheap rip-off of to the episode No Guts, No Glori (that's cuz it is), but I'm trying to change it up a bit and make it a bit longer. The next chapter might be a bit predictable but hey, who cares, right? I'll try to write and post as often as I can cuz I still got ideas rolling in for this fic and a rough idea for a new fic. Until then, leave a review and enjoy.**

* * *

Lola paced around her room with a burning hate in her heart. Her eyes were pointed sharply on the ground, her hands behind her back, and her thoughts crashing and swirling in her brain. She marched over to the window, then spun and slithered over to the door, then back to the window. Back and forth, over and over again. She mumbled to herself now and then, but let out a loud curse aimed a particular older brother.

Lana acknowledged her sister by the corner of her eye as she comfortably laid on her bed. Hops rested on her chest, looking off at the distance and croaking randomly. Lana gently scratched the top of his head with her finger and scanned every inch of her best friend with great detail. Boredom really made the mundane more interesting.

"You should really try calming down a bit," Lana said, never taking her eyes of Hops. Her words were dull and empty. "Lincoln might hear you calling him names if you're too loud."

"I couldn't care less," Lola growled. "He's in there with some random _tramp_. That dork couldn't hear the world ending around him.

Lana's brow raised quickly then fell at her twins nasty remark. Then the frog croaked and Lana chuckled quietly under her breath.

"Wow. That's messed up. Lincoln I can understand, but the one about the girl is uncalled for," Lana said.

Lola walked back to the window. After her endless stole, the little diva stopped at the window and looked outside. Her brows pinched and her lips pressed tight. Her face scrunched up in anger and her little body shook with rage. She kicked her white vanity and the dangerous thud rang in the air.

The bang made Lana jump in surprise. She pulled her focus from her pet and looked over at her twin. Lola's shoulders raised and fell, her appearance was that of a mad brute. She was known for getting like that at times. She went crazy, acted like a devil, and shouted like a banshee, but Lana was used to it by this point. It didn't scare her anymore.

"Oh please," Lola whined. "Lincoln makes her some stupid dinner and she opens her legs like- like some kind of," Lola looked at the floor. Her eyes scanned around her feet like the words were running around her feet. "Like some kind of _harlot_."

Lana doesn't know what that means.

"I don't know what that means," Lana said, her hands resting under her head and fingers intertwined, cradling her soft head.

Lola shot a fierce glance over at Lana, opened her mouth like she was about to say something, but growled and turned away instead. She walked over to the door, mumbled, then dashed over to the window. Lola raised her arms up in front of her, her fingers out and sharp like she wanted to strangle someone. She puffed and pouted then walked back to the door.

And when Lola got to the door, Lola's mind sparked and her eyes widened. She looked at the door and traced over the lines of wood that ran down. Her toes curled and her hands clenched.

She had an idea.

Lola worked out the details in her mind with swift grace. So much can go wrong, but at this point, she could care less. She worked roughly but managed to form a grotesque outline for what she had in mind. It was dangerous but definitely worth it. The idea of it working made her heart sore with joy. She managed to suppress a giggle, because if she saw herself that way then even she'd think she was crazy. A cold shiver ran down the length of her spine. Anticipation and evil wickedness coursed through her tiny body.

She had an amazing idea.

But she couldn't do it alone.

Lola turned to her sister, but instead of giving her anger, Lola looked at her with eyes of determination and a creepy smirk that betrayed any pure or innocent motive.

"A sister meeting," Lola blurted out, expecting Lana to understand.

"Huh?" Lana responded in return.

"Call a sister meeting. Right now," Lola commanded. "I want everyone in Lori's room in 5 minutes."

Lana got up midway and rested her weight on her arms. Hops scurried away and landed softly on the bed. Lana looked at her sister with new-found worry.

"I don't know," Lana said nervously. "Lori probably still needs some time and Lincoln said not to-"

"I don't care what Lincoln says," Lola shouted, flailing her arms, and stomping on the floor. Her voice made the room shake and her words made Lana's body grow cold. Lana jumped out of her skin and her heart skipped. "Besides, this involves Lori too. Just go do it."

And so Lana did what she was told without a second thought. The tiny plumber threw herself out of bed and dashed out of the room, leaving Lola alone.

That little devil had just about the same authoritarian might that Lincoln had. But Lincoln was older, tougher, and taller. He could easily beat and push around anyone who messed with him, and Lola was as light as a feather and her limbs were as thin as twigs. But all the sisters were like that- Small and frail. None of them were a match against Lincoln.

Yeah, he was pretty tough.

There was only one time where someone had the upper hand on Lincoln. It was a rainy day and everyone had to stay inside. They all huddled up in the living room, each doing their own thing. Lincoln on his phone, Lucy reading in the chimney, and Lily reading her comic book. Lori was taking a nap on the couch with her legs resting on Lincoln's thighs and her head laying against the armrest. He didn't mind it though, probably cuz he loved the rainy weather. It made him feel comfortable and warm, I guess.

Well, at some point, Lincoln was chasing Lynn around the house. His aimed at her tiny throat with his sharp nails. He _really_ wanted to squeeze the life out of her. Everyone forgot what happened, but it must've been something with Lynn tossing her balls around. Maybe it hit Lincoln on the head or something.

What he didn't know was that Luan was kind of mad at him too. It happened a while ago, but Lincoln ' _accidentally'_ broke Mr. Coconuts when Ronnie Anne was over. He was making fun of it and practically man-handling it, then he dropped it and a thick crack was left running down the dummy's face. Guess Luan never got over it.

So, when Lynn ran out of the kitchen and into the dining room, Lynn knew Luan had set up what they planned on doing. It was supposed to be a simple prank- place some marbles between the threshold of the dining room and living room, Lynn would jump over it, Lincoln would step on them and, I don't know, fall on his butt or something.

What they weren't ready for was for Lincoln to fall face first onto the hard wooden floor, right behind where Lily was sitting. A loud, horrid _crack_ filled the silent house. Everyone suddenly averted their attention from their own things and turned to the noise. Lola pulled herself away from her hand mirror, Lisa put her book down, and Lori woke up from her nap.

Lynn cursed and cautiously walked back to Lincoln, making sure he was okay, but also ready to run for it just in case. Lily gently dropped her comic, leaving it as a tent on the ground, and pulled herself over the chair. She looked down at Lincoln. He was still for a second, almost lifeless, but then groaned and whined. He reacted quickly.

Lincoln pushed himself up and placed a hand over his nose. He shot up from the ground and stood up with worry written all over his face. Eventually, crimson blood started to slowly seep through his fingers. All his sisters gasped. He noticed the warm liquid run down his hand and he jumped.

"Oh my God," Lily gasped. "Lincoln!"

Lincoln let out a tiny cry and followed it with a muffled curse. He looked up and noticed all his sisters staring at him. Most with shock and a few with genuine concern. He pulled his hand away from his face and noticed his creamy hand covered in blood. The thick crimson dripped to the floor at an odd pace. When he felt the blood continue to run down his nose, he tipped his head back and marched up the stairs like a drunk man. He had his hands on the wall supporting him on his way to the bathroom. He swayed back and forth as he dragged himself along.

Lisa shot up from the floor and looked up the stairs. She barely got a quick glance before Lincoln turned the corner. Lisa cursed out to herself. She ran up the stairs and went to Lincoln.

No one else dared to go up there. The house was silent and the rain continued to fall around them. The hard drops of rain sizzled around them as if burning from the accumulated guilt of Luan and Lynn.

After a while, Lisa came down and told everyone that it wasn't as bad as she expected. A broken nose and a concussion, that is. But luckily enough, Lincoln didn't break his nose. He did, however, break one of his fingers. Lisa thought he must've landed on it, but he never noticed it or felt it after she pointed it out. Shock was probably dulling the pain.

After all that, Lincoln spent the rest of the day in his room with paper tissues stuffed up his nose and a finger brace on his right index finger.

No one really felt sad for him though. Lily, Lori, and maybe Lana were a bit worried, but that's about it. Mostly everyone felt that he kind of deserved it. Everything was always nice and calm until he got mad and blew everything out of proportion. Then, thirty minutes tops, everyone went back to doing their own thing.

Quietly.

* * *

All the sisters, except Lily, huddled around Lori and Leni's room, mumbling amongst each other. The former was lying down on her belly with her face buried in her pillow and her arms tucked under her eyes. The latter sat beside her, brushing and patting her shoulder gently, trying to make her older sister feel better.

Some sat on Leni's bed, some on the floor or others stood. But they left Lori by herself with Leni. She was still in a bad mood and probably crying, but that's okay. All she needed to do was listen.

Lola stood in front of them all with her back straight and eyes sharp. Her chin was up and her burning passion made her seem mightier than she looked.

Much like her older brother.

At the foot of the bed, Lisa pushed her glasses up to the bridge of her nose and cleared her throat. Everyone fell silent. An action so little having such a response spelled everyone's dying curiosity. Lisa looked up at Lola with her stoic face and raised a brow.

"So, why did you call us here?" Lisa asked the obvious. "You know Lincoln doesn't want us out of our rooms."

Lola growled. Just hearing his name made her sick. His name left a bitter stench in the air, thinking about it killed her inside, and saying it left a rancid taste in her mouth.

"I know that," Lola said through her teeth. She calmed herself down a bit. She couldn't get on her sister's bad sides. Lola needed them now more than ever. She took in a long breath and let out a heavy sigh. She steadied herself again and made herself presentable. "I have a plan and I think you guys might be interested."

Lisa sat and pressed her back against the foot of the bed, letting Lola continue her mysterious meeting.

"We're gonna take back our week," Lola said. Her vague statement ringed in the air like a silent bell. Only she could hear it.

"Whaddayamean?" Lynn piped up.

"I mean that we're gonna stop Lincoln. He's been treating us like crap for far too long and I've had enough. We have the whole house to ourselves for a week and he's made it a living hell so far," Lola said. She noticed the sisters sharing uneasy glances at each other. They all knew where she was going with this, but they wanted to hear it from her. "I want to, I don't know, tie him up and just lock him in his room. Then we can do _what_ we want, _when_ we want it."

There was a pregnant silence. Some of their faces scrunched with uncertainty and doubt. Others stared at Lola and kept an open mind.

"You've gotta be kidding, right?" Luna finally spoke.

"No, I'm not," Lola said, dead serious.

"Say you do manage to pull something like that off, when do you plan on letting him go?" Lisa asked.

"Until Mom and Dad come back," Lola answered.

Luna's jaw dropped and her brows pinched. "Until Mom and-" Luna shook her head and waved her hands. "No way, dude. He's gonna kick our asses."

Lynn sat in the corner with her arms crossed, looking like she was sulking. She looked off to the side and pouted. "Not like he already does that."

Luna looked over at Lynn just in time to see Lynn's eyes narrow and her head slump. Luna felt her stomach rumble. She turned back to Lola.

"And what if he tells Mom and Dad?" Luna asked. "You really think he's just gonna-"

"Oh, please," Lola interrupted. "He's too full of himself to even tell on us. If Mom and Dad find out that he can't handle _babysitting_ us, then they'll never let him stay home alone ever again."

The sisters mumbled amongst each other, a wave of approval and agreements rising in the air. Luna spun and shot them a perplexed look. Were they really thinking about this? They honestly can't do this. Sure, Lincoln's gotten them mad many times before, but none of it was as serious to the point where they had to plan on overthrowing him. What the hell happened at the mall? Was is that bad or was it the final straw in a huge hay pill of all the fucked up shit Lincoln has done? Whatever it was, Luna knew for sure that this was only a ticking time bomb and if she didn't settle the matter soon then everything is going to blow up in their faces. Luna sighed. She turned to her little sister and gave her a sad look.

"Listen, dude, if you're still upset about the mall thing then you really gotta calm down. Dropping down to his level isn't gonna solve anything." Luna said.

Lola tilted her head and squinted at Luna as if looking at her was completely strange.

"Are you serious. So, what? Just let him do what he wants like he always does? Look what he did to Lori," Lola pointed a sharp finger at her older sister. Everyone's eyes went to Lori. They barely noticed her shaking, half with sadness and half with embarrassment.

"I-I don't-" Luna shook her head and found her words stuck. She tried clearing her mind.

"And it's _not_ just what happened at the mall," Lola continued. "It's everything. Everything he's done. I don't know if you've noticed, but he doesn't care _one_ bit about us."

Luna couldn't say anything. Her mind was running blank but her resolve was just as strong. The back of her neck began to burn. She looked over her shoulder and at her sisters, expecting at least one of them to be by her side, but she couldn't tell.

Lola raised her hand and pointed at her index finger. "He pushes us around," she pointed at another finger. "He screams at us," then she pointed at another finger. "And he hits us." Lola raised her hands, shook her head and looked at Luna with wide eyes as is saying 'duh, what else do you want?'

All the sister began to mumble amongst each other.

"He _did_ say he didn't like us," Lucy spoke up above the noise. Did he, Luna asked herself. She couldn't remember. She was too nervous. She was standing in front of her sisters like a criminal on trial. The spotlight was on her, sweat ran down her forehead like bullets and her bones felt brittle. Her heart pounded against her chest and her breath came out in shaky gasps. She shook her head again.

"No," Luna spat out as if her word was the final say. "No, we can't. It's just gonna make him more mad. And the next time he has to take care of us, he's just gonna make our lives even worse."

"No, he's not," Lola countered. "We'll just keep locking him up until he respects us. After all, it's all of us against one of him."

"But we can't be like him," Luna argued. "We can't just treat him like an animal. We have to be better. There has to be a way, you know, that doesn't involve violence."

Lola groaned and rolled her eyes. " _Come_. _on_. Don't let your goody two shoes attitude get in the way. We're doing the best thing for us. This isn't about being better, it's about getting even. How is Lincoln gonna treat us differently if all we do is turn the other cheek?"

The sisters in the back mumbled and agreed in a new wave of understanding and truth. Luna couldn't agree, though, but the pressure was building and she felt like she was the only one standing in their way. She felt… ostracized. Isolated. Alone. The corner of her lips twitched and her eyes stung. She hated the attention, but she definitely knew that this wasn't right.

Lisa got up from the floor with a groan and cleared her throat. Everyone stopped and stared at her. She fixed her glasses again and looked up at Lola with a blank stare. Uneasy silence and heavy pressure for a brutal minute. Lisa closed her eyes and lowered her head, but not with shame or guilt.

"I completely agree with everything you said, but I'm not participating in anything further than this," Lisa said.

Lynn raised her hand with joyful optimism. "I'm in," she blurted out.

"Me too," Luan said after.

Lucy raised her hand, but no one noticed. Lana followed after Luan. "You know how long it's been since I've been outside? Far too long."

Luna's shoulders dropped and her heart raced. Is this really happening? She was the odd one out. It felt like all eyes were on her and she couldn't bear it. They were making fun of her, whispering behind her back, and pairing her up with Lincoln. _She's his favorite_ , Luna can hear them saying. _That's why she's protecting him_. _She knows it and she thinks she's better than us._

That's not true, though.

Luna couldn't surrender to violence. She promised herself. Right after she was attacked, she had a repulsive sight towards Lincoln. Especially the way he acted. He was definitely rude and nasty, much like those teens, but his actions didn't match his intentions.

She knew that deep down Lincoln really cared for them. He had to. There must be one memory, or one instance, one moment in his mind where he truly felt happy to have his sisters in his life. He just doesn't say it or show it.

All it took was one sentence to convince her that Lincoln wasn't all that bad: Go down a fighter. She could hear it in his voice, bouncing in her mind and in heart like crazy. It was the first genuine, sincere thing that Lincoln had ever told her. And she held it close to her heart. She thought about it now and then. It was an odd thing to say but she found meaning in it and for so many reasons too. I know life can be hard, but go down a fighter. Kind of like 'don't give up'. Or maybe, 'you're tougher than you look', 'I believe in you'. It meant so much to her, probably because she couldn't figure out what It _actually_ meant, but that didn't matter to her. She would keep those words close.

But her head hung and her face burned. She sighed and shook her mind. "Fine," she said, but then raised her head and looked at Lola with a mad glare. "But I'm with Lisa. You guys can do whatever you want, but it's not my fault if anything bad happens."

"Fine by me," Lola said. She turned to the crowd of her sisters, but her eyes landed on the one person she definitely needed. Lori kept her face buried in the pillow. The older sister hadn't moved an inch. Her long, slender body took up the whole bed. Her long arms and legs stuck out a bit from the side of the bed. She was a giant. Lori was the power she needed to make this go a lot smoother.

"Lori," Lola called out gently. She slithered over to her older sister's side and brushed past Leni. Lola placed a warm hand on Lori's cold shoulder. "Don't worry, Lori. We're gonna make everything okay. I swear this is gonna be the last time Lincoln hurts us, okay?"

Lori shuffled and turned. She lifted her head off the pillow and slowly turned to her little sister. She looked up at her and saw her as an angel. Lola smiled but her pained eyes showed her true feelings, especially seeing Lori with red, puffy eyes, dry tears, and a lost face.

Lori looked down at Lola's hand, embracing herself in the warm touch and sisterhood. They were in this together. Lori looked down at her bed and pressed her lips together, fighting back the tears. Her sisters were the only one she can truly depend on.

Lori was fully certain that that 'memory' of Lincoln being ultimately nice was simply a dream and nothing more. Lincoln could never be that way. Lori kept her mind and heart open, saved just enough space for Lincoln to fit in her life. For him to be the greatest big brother she remembered him being. Or, at least, the big brother she once imagined him as. But when she offered him so many chances, offered him love, and acceptance, he stomped it and spat in her face again and again.

Well, she's had enough. Lincoln was a bastard. He didn't love them at all. Lincoln was incapable of expressing love. He was a monster, a robot, inhuman. He made it clearly obvious back there in the mall, and if that wasn't enough, he also said it himself. He said it right to their faces with passion and feeling that none of them had ever seen before.

When Lori saw a tear land on her bed sheets and sink into the fabric, leaving a damp spot on her bed, she knew for sure what she wanted to do. She sniffled and wiped her nose with her wrist. She grit her teeth and fought back the tears. She looked up at Lola with a strong and outstanding amount of bravery and nodded her head.

Lola's smile widened and she gave Lori a quick nodded. Lola got up and walked back to the center of the room. She turned and looked back at her sisters. This time Lori shifted and sat with her legs crossed on her bed. All her sisters looked at her with concern and discomfort. Lori had a mad glare as a few fresh tears flowed down her face. Her brows were pinched and her eyes seemed sharp. Her face was dark and a certain gloom hovered over her head.

"Okay then," Lola started. "I'm assuming we're all in?"

"How about Lily?" Lynn asked.

"She's sleeping," Lisa said. "I didn't want to wake her."

"That's fine," Lola waved off. "She'll be on our side for sure."

Luna didn't like this, neither did Lisa, but there was no stopping them now. They made up their minds and they'd most likely stick with it through and through.

"Alright then," Lynn spoke. "So when are we doing this?"

"Today," Lola stated. The sisters mumbled amongst each other. Then the talking slowly died down to silence.

"Alright, but _when_ when?" Luan asked.

"Right after that girl leaves. But I want it done soon and her gone now." Lola said, a sharp edge to her voice. She definitely had something else stirring in her mind.

"And how are we gonna do that?" Lucy asked stupidly.

Lola looked up at her dark, goth sister and smiled a crooked smile that didn't sit well with her. A smirk that stretched from ear to ear and eyes that seemed evil. Lucy didn't like it. They all knew this was gonna happen soon.

Very soon.

* * *

Jordan laid back on Lincoln's bed, letting her body sink into the soft mattress as Lincoln hovered over her. He had his face buried in the crack of her neck, leaving small kisses and breathing in her scent. She had her arms wrapped around him, her hands clenching his shirt for support as she felt herself slipping away and her mind grow distant.

She let out a faint moan that encouraged Lincoln to be a bit more daring. His knee was placed between the gap of her legs, pressing roughly against the space where her skirt covered. One of his hand was bent at her side and kept him up. The other hand played with the hem of her shirt.

Well, his shirt. She decided to wear a pair of his orange polos as a joke, but when he asked for it back, she playful asked him to take it back. And he was still trying.

Still trying.

His fingers crept under the orange shirt and touched her soft skin. Her belly was smooth and squishy. The tip of his fingers brushed over the surface of her stomach and moved further up, going for her right breast. She knew what he was doing and giggled.

Right when Lincoln was going to slip under her bra, there was a knock on the door. His heart skipped and his heart went wide. And so did Jordan's. They both froze and refused to make a noise.

Maybe it was just their imagination.

Lincoln hoped so. He told his sisters to stay in their rooms and if Jordan found out that they were still in the house, she'd probably be pissed. And weirded out.

Or maybe turned on.

It was a gamble, but a gamble Lincoln wasn't willing to make. He was so close to third base and he didn't need his sisters fucking it up. No, they wouldn't get out of their rooms. After that screaming he gave them, they're probably too shaken up to do anything to piss him off any further. Right?

When Lincoln was sure the knocking was just a fluke, he was ready to go back to kissing and stuff, but the knocking came again, clearly and loudly in the empty silence.

"I-I thought you said no one was here," Jordan whispered.

"There isn't," Lincoln whispered back, continuing his lie. He got up from the bed, a nasty squeak ripping through the air. He sighed and walked over to the door. He didn't notice, but Jordan got up too and hid behind his back like a frightened puppy. She grabbed onto his shirt and tightly pressed her chest against his back. Lincoln could feel her boobs against his back and _really_ didn't mind.

Lincoln walked over to the door and opened it. He looked past and saw an empty hallway. He looked down and saw Lucy standing there. Her bangs covered most of her face but he can almost imagine the nasty stare that Lincoln was giving her reflecting off her shiny eyes.

A wobbly smile stretched across Lincoln's face but he really wanted to kill her right now.

"Oh, Lucy," Lincoln said with mock surprise and enthusiasm. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at, uh, Charlie's house or something?" Lincoln looked past Lucy and looked down the hall, looking at every door and making sure no one else was hiding in the small cracks of the hall, ready to ruin his moment. "Everyone _else_ is there, _aren't they_?" Lincoln said through his teeth, suppressing his rage and threatening Lucy at the same time.

Jordan stood on the tip of her toes and looked over Lincoln's shoulder. Her hair ran down his chest and gently brushed his neck. Lincoln felt his heart flutter and, in an instant, his anger trickled away and his face burned with embarrassment instead.

Jordan looked at the little girl. She noticed that the little goth was thin and tiny, like a doll. Her short hair and dress made Jordan's heart squeal.

"Yeah, but you guys forgot me," Lucy sighed and hung her head. "Again." Her voice was more monotone and dead than ever. "I was just hoping you could help me with my homework packet," Lucy pulled out a thick packet of paper from behind her back and held it out.

No, this wasn't right. Something was fishy. Her school didn't give her any homework.

Where did she get that from?

More importantly, what was she up to?

"Awww," Jordan cried sympathetically behind Lincoln. Lincoln spun to look at her but she slipped by his side and out his room before he turned. Thank God she was fully clothed.

Jordan stood over Lucy with her hands over her heart, a goofy smile and loving eyes over her face. She knelt down to Lucy's height and got a better look at the little girl. She just wanted to pinch her pale, dead-looking cheeks. Jordan turned and looked up at Lincoln with a wide smile.

"Why didn't you tell me you had such an adorable little sister, bunny boy?" Jordan asked.

 _Bunny boy_ , Lucy asked herself questionably. Her attention then went to her shirt. She was wearing Lincoln's shirt. She turned to Lincoln, but he still had his shirt on; although, it seemed a bit wrinkled and ruffled up. One of his shirts. _Where did she get that from?_

Lincoln kept his eyes on Lucy for a bit longer, trying to find any hidden means behind Lucy's little act. He squinted at her but shook his head after he started feeling weird.

He turned to Jordan and smiled. His eye twitched and his body burned with rage. He felt like a lunatic trying to keep his urges and insanity buried deep inside. Trying so hard.

"Well, I _did_ tell you I had sisters." Lincoln chuckled. _Sisters that shouldn't be outside their rooms_ , he added.

"I know, but you didn't say they were _this_ cute?" Jordan held her hands over her heart and gawked over Lucy.

"Yeah, cute," he chuckled awkwardly. Lincoln turned his loving gaze from Jordan over to Lucy. His smile fell and Lucy noticed. Jordan still had her eyes on her, a washing pressure washed down Lucy's back. It was definitely coming from Lincoln, but she also didn't like the way that girl was looking at her. It made her feel… patronized. "Can't you, I don't know, do it by yourself."

"I've _been_ trying to do it by myself," Lucy opened the packet and scanned the page. It consisted of a bunch of weird numbers and symbols that they stole from Lisa. It was ' _math_ ' but Lucy was certain this was some kind of rocket science. She looked up at Lincoln with a blank stare, somehow conveying a sense of hopelessness. "But I don't get it. Can you help me?"

Lincoln flinched. So that was it. She was gonna take away his time with Jordan away. No, Lincoln wasn't gonna fall for it. He had his own thing going on.

"Um, sorry, but I'm a little busy right now," Lincoln rubbed his neck and looked at Jordan. That was his little habit: doing something stupid when he lied. Sometimes it was making weird hand gestures, sometimes it was looking off to the side, and sometimes it was rubbing his neck. He knew he did it, but couldn't stop himself.

Jordan turned and looked back up at Lincoln. She pouted and puffed out her bottom lip like she was giving him that puppy face that she was too old for. But it worked just fine for her.

"Come on, Lincoln," she said with a bubbly tone, like talking to a baby. It made Lincoln kind of mad, but her beauty and silliness made up for it. "Don't be such a meanie. Help her out."

Jordan got up from the floor and stood at full height. She was shorter than Lincoln, but to Lucy, her tallness was almost matched to Lincoln's. Jordan looked up at Lincoln and gave him a loving smile, her eyes met his and their bodies were so close to each other. Lincoln could feel her warmth pressing against his body. It was nice. And comforting.

"Besides," she said seriously, her true voice sounding much more mature than she let on. "I got to get home soon. I told my parents I was hanging out with one of my girlfriends and they'll kill me if they found out I was lying." She giggled and laid a soft hand on Lincoln's shoulders, trying to find anything to hold onto so she wouldn't have to leave.

Lincoln didn't want her to go either. Something about this girl was… amazing. She was funny and sweet. She was wild but only enough to make Lincoln bold and crazy. His heart truly ached at the thought of her going.

But the view might be nice.

Lincoln mentally slapped himself. He looked at Jordan, turned to Lucy, then looked back at Jordan. His mind worked swiftly and eagerly.

"Um, y-you sure you wanna go. I mean, we can just hang out, you know," Lincoln walked over to Lucy and snatched the packet out of her hand. He waved it in the air. "We can do this together. It'll be _fun_." Lincoln said with song-singing voice, trying desperately to keep her by his side.

Jordan knew what he was doing. She smiled and rolled her eyes. She walked over to him and grabbed his hand and held it in both of hers. She looked up at him and burned her eyes into his. She could see the sadness.

Call Lincoln a loser, and in his head, he felt like one, but he fell in love with a girl he only met for one day. Love at first sight I guess.

"You're a dork, bunny boy," Jordan said lovingly. She pushed herself and stood on the tip of her toes. Their faces were inches away and Lincoln could feel their warm breathes mingling and dancing with each other. She leaned in and kissed him. Lincoln felt like he was swept away. He almost lost his balance, but managed. He was taken by surprise.

Then as quickly as it started, the kiss ended. Their lips parted and both of them basked in their own love. It was a small, simple peek, but it meant so much to Lincoln. His heart burst and his stomach turned with excitement.

Lucy felt uncomfortable. She was shadowed over by their little love session and it made her a bit sick, but she stood there silently.

Jordan took a step away from Lincoln and looked up at him with an angelic smile. They both stood there and looked at each other, neither of them saying a word. Lincoln was so close to losing his virginity a minute ago, but all that was clouded by this one moment. It didn't matter to him because back then, he was just about to fuck some random girl.

But now, he fell in love with that girl from the mall. The girl that stood behind him in that giant line. That girl that gave him such a funny nickname in a second. That girl that made his heart ache. That girl he never knew before.

Her smile fell and she gasped in surprise. She scurried into his room and fiddled around with the pile of clothes that littered the ground. She picked up her yellow shirt, slipped on her shoes quickly, and was out in under a second. She was like a super, hyper chipmunk.

It was adorable.

Jordan went in nervous as hell, fixed herself up in a dash and was out like it was nothing. It almost made Lincoln laugh. Instead, when she walked out of his room and stood back in front of him, he smiled.

"Alright," Jordan said sadly, smiling back as she walking over to the stairs. "I've got to get going ."

"Oh," Lincoln's heart sank into his stomach. He took a step closer to her. "I'll walk you out."

She raised a hand and Lincoln stopped dead in his tracks. Such a small little gesture was enough to control Lincoln. Lucy was amazed.

"Don't worry about. I'll see myself out." She walked over to the stairs, Lincoln tracing her every move intensely. When she took a couple steps down the stairs, she spun and looked at Lincoln. "I'll see you later, _Lincoln_." She winked and disappeared around the corner.

The way his name left her mouth sent shivers down Lincoln's spine. He was starting to believe that she forgot his name. The world came crashing around him and his body felt colder then it ought to, but he kept that goofy smile on his face until her footsteps disappeared.

He didn't notice it after a while, but he remembered that Jordan walked out wearing his shirt. He didn't mind it, though. If only he had a souvenir of her. Something to remember her by. He had none, but there was still going to be so many chances. He just knew it.

 _I'll see you later_.

Her words rang in his head and made him desperate to see her again. Her words felt more like a promise than a farewell. After she was gone and left him aching, all Lincoln could hope and wish for was for the next time they would met. He'll text her later. Try to make that 'soon' into a 'very soon'.

When he heard the front door open then slam shut, his smile fell and his face twisted in anger. He turned to Lucy.

"Alright, what did I say about lea-" Lincoln stopped. She wasn't standing where he last remembered. He looked in his open room then down the vacant hall but she was gone like the wind. He sighed and his shoulders fell. Yeah, she was just trying to ruin his fun. But he still had some choice words for her. He walks to Lynn and Lucy's bedroom and opened their door.

He swung open the door and called out her name. He was surprised to see an empty room. Lynn was gone too. His head started to boil. Where was Lucy and why wasn't Lynn in her room?

His brows pinched and realization dawned on him. He walked over to the twins room and opened the door. Empty. His nose scrunched up and steam crawled out his ears. He marched over to Luan and Luna's room but it was empty too. He walked over to Lori's room, and when his hand reached for the knob, he hesitated. He fought against it and gripped the cold knob. He opened the door.

Empty.

It was all empty. Are they seriously fucking around with him? Lincoln growled, spun around and marched over to the stairs. He raced down and glanced over the living room. It was exactly the way it was before. He shook his head and walked to the dining room. Nothing there.

"Lucy," he called out loudly. He waited and listened for a response, but got nothing in return. He walked into the kitchen, nothing; looked out the window and into the backyard, nothing; looked down the basement, nothing.

He checked Mom and Dad's room, the garage, and the front porch. He checked everywhere, calling out a random name in hopes that someone might hear him. His head boiled and slight fear wrapped around his heart. He marched back into the living room, his hands on his hips and his feet tapping on the wooden floor. His eyes sharpened as he looked at the couches. He growled. He cupped his hands around his mouth like a bullhorn.

"Lori!" Lincoln shouted at the top of his lungs but got nothing. "Lynn!" He tried again, but still nothing. Where were they?

He checked every corner of the house and couldn't find them. Did they leave the house?

No fucking way.

They wouldn't dare. Holy shit. If they did, he would literally strangle the hell out of them. No, even they knew not to do something as stupid and dangerous as that. Mom and Dad told them all the time. It was a rule they followed without a doubt. Then where were-

A spark lit up in Lincoln's mind. In the attic. It's the only place he hadn't checked yet. He raced up the stairs, skipping some steps and practically dragging himself up. He stomped down the hall, his eyes up at the latch and landing on that bit of string. He reached for it but something caught his attention. He looked down towards the bathroom and saw Lori standing in front of her room with her arms crossed and a twisted scowl on her face.

"Lori?" Lincoln called. Her eyes sharpened when their eyes met. He raised a brow. "Lori, what are you doing out of- wait. Where are the others?"

Lori raised her chin and looked down at Lincoln. Something felt off. His back itched. He spun around and all his sisters stood behind him, right in front of his bedroom door. They stood before him like a mob of gangsters. Lincoln's eyes sharpened.

"What are you guys doing?" Lincoln asked. They didn't answer. His sisters shared glances amongst each other, giving off signals and nods to each other. Lincoln didn't like this. He took a step back but Lori was behind him too. "Hey, I'm talking to you." Lincoln's voice crumbled, trying to keep himself strong but failing.

"Now!" Lola suddenly shouted.

Lynn rushed down the hall at lightning speed. All Lincoln could do was take a step back, raise his hand and gasp.

"Wait," he shouted as if that would actually stop her.

Lynn jumped and tackled him. She wrapped her arms around his stomach and threw all her weight at him. He lost his balance and both tumbled to the ground. Lynn kept her arms around him in a firm hug. Lincoln reacted quickly. He saw the rest of his sisters run down the hall and towards him. His heart jumped and his blood went cold.

He was in danger.

He tried to get up but Lynn was much heavier than he thought. Her legs were tangled with his and she thrashed around everytime Lincoln tried to get up. He dug one hand into her hair and tried yanking her away but that just tightened her grip around his waist. His other hand had a nice grip on her chin and tried pushing her off but she was stubborn and stuck to him like glue. He pulled her hair some more and kept kicking her away, but it wasn't working.

"Grab him," he heard Lola shouted out.

His legs went stiff. Small hands wrapped around his ankles and kept them still. He kicked and flailed around like a madman, but his efforts were futile. His heart raced like crazy. Sweat ran down his forehead and his mind went blank. His eyes were full of fear and then surprise as he felt tiny hands trying to keep his arms down. He swatted at them like pesky bugs and they scurried away, but quickly came back.

"Hey," Lincoln called. "What are you doing? Let go of me!" He said in the middle of his struggle. Lucy walked up to him and placed some tape over his mouth. He muffled out a cry but it was faint and silent.

"Lori," Lola shouted out. "Grab him."

Lincoln felt firm hands slither from behind, under his pits and wrapped over his shoulder. His hands flew up to his side by instinct. He felt her chest press against his back. He turned his head around and saw Lori close behind him. Her angry face burned and engraved a scary feeling in Lincoln's chest.

 _They're gonna kill me, they're gonna kill me, they're gonna kill me_ , Lincoln repeated in his head. His body went limp and the fight slowly drained out of his body. His limbs went dead and the hands around him gently loosened and did the same.

"Get the rope," Lola commanded.

Lincoln suddenly thrashed about like a fish out of water, catching his sisters out of surprise. He tried yelling but the only sound that came out was a muffled whine. He almost threw Lynn off his chest, but she wrapped her hands around him and roughly pressed her cheek against his chest. His legs went free for a second but then were quickly pinned to the ground just like his arms. His chest pumped out and he shook violently around like there was an alien in his body.

Lucy rushed over and handed Lola one end of the rope. They both worked their way around Lincoln's body, binding his legs together and tying his arms down to his sides. Once Lincoln was tied up and pretty much gagged, they all stepped away from him and looked at him as a dangerous creature. The rope wrapped around his body made him look like a grumpy caterpillar. He let out muffled cries and whines that they could only imagine as the most messed up curses that Lincoln could ever say. Good thing the tape was over his mouth then.

They watched him thrash about the floor, all their stances low and guards up just in case he ripped through the rope like some kind of monster and attacked them. Once they were sure Lincoln wasn't going anywhere, everybody turned to Lola. Her face was cold and hard, leaving a burning spot on Lincoln's pathetic face.

She looked up at her sisters then looked down the hall, over at Lincoln's room.

"Pick him up," Lola commanded. They all reached a hand down at Lincoln and his muffled shouts filled the air. He was constantly changing from fits of rage to fear then back to anger. Lori lifted him from the back and Lynn got his legs. All the sisters pitched in one by one until they had him up in the air like some kind of surfing crowd. They carried him down the hall slowly and dreadfully like carrying a casket. Lola walked over to Lincoln's room, swung open his door rudely, scanned the room for a bit, and turned her attention back to her sisters. She pointed at the chair near his desk. "Drop him there." She said firmly.

And they did so, dropping him down on the hard chair roughly. An electric shock of pain rain up Lincoln's spine and his ass felt numb. That stopped his crying and whining. He sat quietly and glanced at his sisters with a questionable look of confusion and pain. His eyes dashed from one of their faces to the other, each one giving him a mad stare of cold indifference. He mumbled something out, but his sisters couldn't understand him. Not like they cared at this point anyway.

"Don't worry, _Bunny Boy,_ " Lola said teasingly. "We won't keep you like that… for _too_ long. Just think of this as a 'time-out'. Until you're ready to apologize, that is."

Lincoln lashed out and a muffled shout came from his mouth that sounded a little too close to _ducking itch._ Lola's nose wrinkled in disgust at Lincoln's rude behavior. Her eyes ran over every inch of his face, savoring the seconds that she knew he was powerless and weak. A smirk stretched across Lola's lips. She began to walk out of the room and her sisters scurried out like a bunch of rats. The little princess put her hands on the knob, but before she closed the door, she turned around and shot a wicked smile at Lincoln.

"And who knows," she said playfully. "Maybe if you act nice, we'll let you out sooner rather than later."

Lola slammed the door just as Lincoln thrashed about again, screaming out dull curses and shouts. The door banged against the frame, triumphing over Lincoln's cries. She kept her hands on the knob with a tight and firm grip. Just to be safe. But when everything died down and she was sure that Lincoln wasn't going to come crashing through the door and attack them, Lola began to giggle like a child. She felt extremely light and her legs trembled. Her stomach turned and she felt like she was going to puke.

They actually did it. Oh my God. They actually did it. Now what?

Now what?

"Now what?" Someone said. Lola spun around and looked at the crowd of sisters. They all shared lost glances amongst each other. Some shrugged and other felt the rush of the moment being easily replaced with confusion and dread. Lola snarled at them and shook her head. It was so simple. Why were they even asking?

"Do whatever you want," Lola said joyfully. "We're free to do all the things that Lincoln never let us do."

Luan raised her hand.

"Can I watch TV?" Luan asked timidly.

"Go for it, sister," Lola said cheerfully. Luan smiled and ran down the stairs with a spring in her steps.

Lucy raised her hand next. Lola raised a brow. What's with the hand-raising?

"Can I eat some ice cream?" Lucy asked.

"You betcha," Lola stated.

"Wicked,"

Lynn flailed her hand in the air and howled like a monkey.

"Can I play soccer in the house?"

"Um, yeah, sure. Why not?" Lola shrugged. Lynn pumped her hand to her chest and hissed in victory. She marched down the stairs right behind Lucy.

"Can I play outside?" Lana asked.

Lola's face fell and she gave her twin a blank stare. Lola knew her sister better than anyone. She knew are her little habits and patterns and the _one_ thing she hated the most was when Lana dragged in mud all over the floors. She was about to straight up tell her no, but she knew that that wouldn't be fair to her. It pained Lola to say it, but she'd have to let Lana do her thing. Her face scrunched up and her lips pressed tightly together. She threw on a noxious smile and let herself surrender.

"Yeah, sure. Just try not to-" before she could finish,

Lana shrieked with joy, pumped her fists in the air and ran down the stairs like a speeding bullet behind all her other sisters. Lola's smile faded and her shoulders slumped. A long and dragged-out sigh left her mouth as she shook her head bitterly. But when she turned and her focus was fixed over at Lincoln's closed door, that devilish smile crawled back onto her face. A feeling of satisfaction washed over her.

She bested her older brother.

And she was definitely letting it go to her head. She felt like a Queen or a true warrior when compared to Lincoln. When he was tied up on his chair, she never felt more taller and mightier than she had at that moment. The way Lincoln seemed to glance up at her perfectly depicted their change in status- him, a pleb, and her, a mighty ruler. Now, Lincoln was the weakling and Lola was the one in control. And better yet, she knew Lincoln would never tell on them. He might have the mindset of a simple barbarian, but he was too proud to tell on his little sisters. If Mom and Dad found out that Lincoln wasn't able to take care of his little sisters, then they'd take away his Big Brother privileges. You know, the kind where he gets to stay at home as long as he looks after his sisters, gets an increased allowance and can have any friend over. As long as it was a guy friend. No girls allowed in the house while his parents are away.

Everyone already knew Lincoln broke that rule, but it didn't matter now.

Lola had the ultimate leverage: Lincoln's own shame.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for not posting. Of course, when I say I want to get more into writing, I get bombarded with work and school. I know this one's not as long as my others but I just wanted to throw something out there to let you guys now that I'm still alive. I'm on a small break so I'll see how much I can write or how far I can get into this fic. Other than that, enjoy and Merry Christmas**

* * *

Things went bad rather quickly. It was kind of depressing to be honest. Especially since it had barely been one hour and Lola was already admitting defeat (to herself). She didn't know how it started but it was like a domino effect; one disaster led to another. Lynn broke a couple vases and _maybe_ left a hole in the wall. Lana brought in a crap load of mud like expected. What Lola didn't expect though was that Lana would bring the whole backyard into their living room.

Seriously, there was dirt all over the place, almost to the point where it looked normal. Lori was on the couch with her fat stomach out and her stinky feet on the coffee table, watching whatever goddamn show was on. The volume was pretty loud, but not as loud as Luan's shrieks of laughter. She sounded like a maniac, a psycho, but only God knew what that little clown was doing 'cuz no one else cared.

Luna and Lisa were in their rooms, silent as the dead. And Lily was still… well, no surprise if she wasn't awake by this point.

Ugh. Where did she go wrong?

Everything was fine a couple minutes ago. No, it definitely wasn't her fault. She was minding her own business, admiring the makeup and her beauty in her little hand mirror when Lana's gross frog crawled on top of her head. She flailed out and screamed, of course, then went to go bite Lana's head off. When she gave Lana a stern warning, the little shit laughed at her. Lana said that Hops just like her, but unfortunately the feelings weren't mutual.

Lana shrugged and walked away. That really pissed her off. She and Lana were twins but they couldn't be any more different. Lana had a complete lack of respect or modesty. She was filthy and crude, obscene and inelegant.

There was a time where they at least dressed alike. Maybe two years ago or more, Mom and Dad dressed them alike with pretty dresses and combed hair. Lola stuck to it and like it, Lana didn't.

Whatever, her loss.

Ugh, and don't even get her started on that voice. Sounds like two rusty trash cans fucking each other.

Lori was a stubborn bitch that didn't move from her spot on the couch even though Lola was clearly sitting there first. That didn't matter though. What really bothered her was the fact that Lori put up this sad, moppy front whenever possible. She was _trying_ to look weak and miserable. Why? I don't know.

Guess she liked the attention, but no one was giving her any. And she was too lazy to get up and cry about it. It was obvious that Lori wasn't mad at Lincoln anymore, they got even, but she was still faking it like some middle-aged wife's organism.

It was pathetic, but Lola wasn't petty enough to call her out on it. Lynn kept breaking stuff, enough said. Luan was making a mess in the kitchen with her pies. But it's okay, she was only wasting food and gas so she can throw the damn thing at someone.

And miss. Every fucking time.

I mean, there was more pies stuck to the wall then on anyone faces.

The only one not giving her trouble was Lucy. And that scared her the most because she was unpredictable. Lucy could go from simple reading to human sacrifice in a second. Lola hoped for the former over all else.

When she had enough, she tried controlling them but her sisters were wild dogs. They didn't listen to her, didn't care about the slight peace. They were foolishly content and lost in what they were doing. Lynn laughed and said she was acting like Lincoln. That felt like a punch in the stomach. Lola went straight to the defensive, but she seemed more nervous than mad. In a way, she was a little anxious being compared to her brother. They were nothing alike and she'd tear her head off before admitting that they shared something in common.

Not like there was much to compare. Lincoln was a brute, a fearless dictator ruling over smaller peasants. He was rough and loud and mean. Lola was quiet and reserved. She always got what she wanted and did things her way. She had her own strengths and never resolved to violence to get her way. A lady wouldn't do that. A lady uses her words and brain. A lady is swift and smart.

But she'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't feel like smacking some sense into her sisters. Instead, after they all laughed at her, Lola stomped and locked herself up in her room. Her face was hot with rage and an odd weight pressed down on her shoulder. She laid in her bed, looking up at the ceiling and tracing over the weird bumps and cracks that caught her eye. The echoing laughter and screams coming from downstairs made her blood boil. Her heavy breathing filled her ears and rose above the noise. Her plan fell apart quicker than she thought. A feeling of cold failure washed over her.

Her mind went to her disrespectful sisters. Lola saw their faces and had a bitter comment for each. Especially Lynn and Lana. They had no inch of gratitude. Lola came up with this whole plan and suffered Lincoln's wrath more than anyone. Well, maybe not the most, but definitely the worst. But she was the only one still upset at Lincoln. Even Lori was over it. Far too quickly for her liking. One moment Lori was crying into her pillow like a widow and then her fat ass was sitting on the couch like nothing happened.

Ugh, she was a teen, though. And Lola saw on tv that teens were emotionally unstable and… weird, but that didn't give her the right to use her emotions to her advantage. She was probably still mad at Lincoln, but only when she needed to. LIke a stray cat opening up to a stranger, but only when it was hungry. Lori was stubborn and Lynn was annoying.

Lana was getting on her nerves.

And Luan was… being herself.

Lola's face went numb. The details of the ceiling blurred and all the noise around her went mute. Her heart thumped hard once and then went fairly light. Her eyes scurried around in realization. Her mind went to Lincoln.

Lola grabbed her pillow and pressed it tightly over her face. She didn't care if her makeup smeared, she screamed into her pillow.

* * *

There was a loud crash and a quick cry. The cruel sound of shattering glass filled the air.

Lily moaned and stirred from her nap. She shifted from the fetal position and rolled onto her back. She stretched and hissed with delight. She opened her eyes and darkness surrounded her. It was probably night. She looked at the window and saw that the curtains blocked the sunlight. Her face fell. Then it was probably still morning. She looked off to the side and saw her genius sister huddled up at her desk.

Lisa had the habit of never opening the curtains when she woke up. It was always dark in here, but Lily wasn't complaining. Compared to some darkness and loud explosions, Lily would take the dark any time.

It still bothered her, though. She knew Lisa was a genius and had no time for simple gestures of formality. Lisa was like a robot. When she woke up, she went straight to work, but seeing her in the dark, hunched over her desk and her face buried in her studies, it made her look pathetic. Lily liked the light. It made their room look more colorful and happy.

Lily got up from her bed with a mad groan. Her eyes went to Lisa's side of the room where she saw her sister at her desk. She was doing her own thing. With a cardboard box on the table. She was probably half-asleep but Lily was sure that the box moved a bit. There was a large plastic chamber beside it where Lisa was looking inside.

Lily never showed any strong interest in Lisa's projects. Mostly because it really scared her, but also because she didn't want to bother Lisa. There were times where Lily wanted to help with some small stuff, like a lab assistant, but she found herself more helpful when she wasn't helping.

"Hey, Lisa," Lily finally spoke up. Her voice was rough and dry. Speaking felt like pushing warm air out of her mouth. "What time is it?"

"I don't know," Lisa mumbled, not taking her eyes off the chamber. And whatever was inside. "three, maybe four."

"Huh," guess it was later than it felt.

Something scratched at the back of her head. She woke up wondering something, but what was it? She lost it. Probably wasn't important anyway. There's only so much a person can do when drunk between sleep and being awake. Lily wasted all her attention trying to figure out what Lisa was up to. She didn't know why she kept trying though.

Once Lily managed to get Lisa rambling about science stuff, Lily's mind went completely blank. It was rude but she just kept nodding her head and agreeing with everything Lisa spat out 'cuz of course it was going to be true.

It was more of common courtesy than anything. Lisa was _so_ passionate about science and studying that it would be insulting to just ignore it. Lisa returned the favor too. Lily would lay on the ground with her feet kicking in the air and her face buried in one of her sketchbook thingies, she'd show Lisa a crude drawing or a quick sketch and Lisa would always say it was nice.

No matter what.

Lily and Lisa couldn't be any more different, though. One dwelled and flourished in the endless abyss of knowledge while the other explored her tameless creativity with a pencil or paint.

Despite their differences, they managed to get along just well. Mom and Dad were pretty surprised. I mean, a bookworm and a happy-go-lucky girl in the same room, _really_?

Lisa messed around with formulas and concoctions, Lily played with crayons and art. And somehow they managed to find some ground rules. No more explosions cuz that scared everyone, no paint or mess anywhere near Lisa's experiments, no staying up past their bedtime and whatnot.

And their rules worked wonderfully. Hm, her other sisters could learn a thing or two. Lola and Lana were twins, you'd expect them to understand each other better than anyone, and yet they fight like rabid dogs. Ugh, and don't get her started on Lynn and Lucy. They're practically close to always killing each other.

Lily doesn't know what goes down in there but it must be pretty ugly. Lynn and Lucy are the ones that have the biggest fights. Well, not _fight_ fights. Just argument fights; that doesn't make it any less scary though. Lily got up from her bed, looked at her messy sheets and disregarded it without a second thought. She turned back to her older sister but just when she was about to talk, a thunderous crash filled the air, followed by a thud. What sounded like shattering glass was clear. A shrill yelp filled the air and then childish laughter erupted from downstairs. Lily's face scrunched up in concern but then turned to worry.

"What was that?" Lily asked.

Lisa froze, her bland and empty still and unchanging. She sighed and shook her head.

"Our sisters," Lisa answered then carelessly returned back to what she was working on.

"Oh," Lily simply responded.

Her heart raced a bit. Lincoln's gonna be mad, she thought. Lily never liked when her sisters got yelled at. Especially by Lincoln. When he lectured someone or yelled at his sisters, he always made sure there was a crowd. He made it feel like everyone was at fault. It wasn't his intention though. Probably.

Lily was smart and knew that Lincoln was trying to help them learn. And what better way to learn than through fear? It still bothered her. She was truly empathetic and cared deeply for her sister. She couldn't stand seeing one of them down in the dumps. She'd do anything to help them cheer up, but if all her attempts failed, then she'd give them some space and time to cool down. Each one had their certain ways. Some needed to go blow off some steam like Lynn and Lana, others need a small talk like Lola and Lori. Lucy and Luna always needed some space to think and stuff.

Lily would always bring in a piece of candy or chocolate when she wanted to talk to her sisters. But she only did so when they were mad or upset. She learned it from Lisa. It was kind of like training a dog. When a pet hears or sees certain things, it experiences certain behaviors. Positive reinforcement, was it? Lily would give them some food and they'd ease up. It always worked.

Yep, she knew her sisters well.

Lincoln, on the other hand, was an enigma.

He buried any and all his emotions under a heavy coat of strictness and mystery. Lily wasn't much of a scientist like Lisa but she liked studying people. Her siblings, to be more specific. She knew at least one habit, one weakness, and one talent about all her sisters, but she didn't know squat about Lincoln.

He's a boy. He's older. What else is there? Um, he likes girls and… girls. I mean, jeez, he doesn't flaunt his passion around like all the other sisters. He's reserved and keeps to himself. If there was one thing she _really_ knew about Lincoln, then it was that he had an odd liking towards her. With her, Lincoln was much more lenient. When they talked, he smiled and laughed (sometimes) more than he would with the others. Hell, with her other sisters, Lincoln seemed detached and bitter.

Lily knew that she was Lincoln's favorite. She wasn't dumb and he couldn't make it any more obvious. Either the others accepted it or didn't notice, because no one has said a thing about it.

A cold breeze danced around her feet and shivers ran up her back. She put on her fuzzy slippers and wiggled her toes around the softness. She hated the cold but also liked it at the same time. Weird.

She dragged herself to the door and before she could leave, Lisa spun around her chair and shot a glance over to her Lily.

"I wouldn't go out there if I were you," Lisa stated. Lily looked at her for a second with a raised brow.

"Why not?" Lily asked.

Lisa spun back around and hunched over the desk. She fiddled with papers and scanned about with sharp eyes.

"It's lawless out there," Lisa said. "And you'll only get in more trouble."

There was another crying shriek and more dangerous thumps. Laughter, both childish and mad, scratched Lily's ears.

"I-," Lily stopped herself and kept listening for a second. The sound of heavy footsteps scurried in the living room but sounded more like thuds across the wall. The TV blared out some background noise and sounded faint compared her sisters yelling. Lily pointed to the door and her face twisted in worry. "S-shouldn't they be, I don't know, a bit quieter?"

Lisa scoffed. Her head was low and she kept her eyes on her work. Half her focus was on Lily and the other was on thinking, but not about her studies or problem; about a completely different matter.

"No," Lisa said bitterly. "They can do just about whatever they want."

"What do you mean?" Lily raised a brow.

Lisa looked over her shoulder and glanced at her Lily with a skeptical look.

* * *

Lily ran out of her room and down the hall. She came to a hard stop at the stairs and almost lost her balance. Her hand gripped on the handrail and she guided herself down quickly but carefully. The laughter and screaming of her sister grew more thunderous and bombastic. She marched down the steps and when she got a quick glance at the living room, she cringed.

Nasty stains and food covered the wall. There was mud and dirt literally all over the place. Books and paper littered the ground amongst the muck and grime. Lori was on the couch with a family-sized bag of cheesy chips and her attention set on the television screen.

Leni was beside her with torn clothes and scissors on her laps. In her hands was a shirt that was crudely sewn together like it was done with tape. One half of the shirt was yellow and the other half was a light blue. It looked like a complete fashion disaster, but that goofy smile on Leni's face made her believe otherwise.

Lynn and Lana ran out of the kitchen, around the living room, then back into the kitchen. The latter shrieked with a mix of fear and nervous laughter. The former had a nasty scowl on her face, her teeth were bare and her eyes hellish red. And Lily caught a quick glance of something in Lynn's hair… tomato sauce?

Her eyes grew wide and her jaw fell. Lily shook her head in disbelief. She spun around on her heels and wobbled back up the stairs with drunken steps. She marched back to her room but just as she reached for the knob, she turned and looks towards Luna's room. The door was slightly cracked open. Lily scurried over to her sister's room and moved swiftly and lightly. She peeked through the door and looked around as much as she could. Luna was resting on her side with her back facing Lily. The little rocker was breathing heavily with short gasps and twitched a bit.

She was sleeping, Lily thought as she gently closed the door behind her.

Luna didn't notice the clicking of the door. Her own hot breathes filled her ears as her hand worked diligently between her legs. Her other hand cupped her small breast and moved in small circles while biting her lower lip and fighting back a certain feeling that was washing over her.

Lily pushed herself away from the door and marched over to Lynn's room expecting to find Lucy in her bed, but their room was completely empty. She didn't see Lucy in the living room earlier and she wasn't in her room either, which was odd. Whatever. She was probably somewhere downstairs or in the attic… or the basement.

Or maybe the garage.

To be honest, she was probably anywhere isolated and dark, but definitely somewhere around the house. After all, no one can go outside without Lincoln supervising them or at least him knowing.

Wait a minute. What happened to Lincoln.

She looked down at her older brother's door and walked over to his room with a hurried pace, but she stopped in front of the twins room. Without thinking, she pushed open the door and looked inside. Lily's eyes ran over to Lola's bed where said sister had a pillow over her face. She looked… dead. Her limb arms resting at her side and her chest not moving even the slightest. But then a loud groan came out from beneath the pillow and one of her legs kicked in the air and landed roughly back on her bed. Was she upset?

Lily stepped out and closed the door. Yeah, Lola was probably mad. She was the easiest to mess with. Her short temper made her both an easy target for mockery and bullying. But even Lynn doesn't mess with her most of the time 'cuz Lola is _cray-zee_. Lisa went on a rant one time talking about how Lola might be a future psychopathy. No one was really taking her seriously but there was some truth in her words. I mean, there has to be. Everyone calls Lola a little devil for a reason. And if you think about it, out of all the eleven children in the house, at least one of them has to be… sick in the head. Maybe not now, but eventually. And who else would it be expect Lola?

Or maybe it was Lincoln. He snaps more times in a day than anyone can imagine, he hits them from time to time and yells at them a lot. It would make sense as to why it would be him, but he's definitely not a psychopath. Lisa said psychopaths are attractive and manipulative. And last time Lily checked, Lincoln wasn't attractive. Not saying he isn't. I mean, he's not unattractive but not handsome or anything. Wait, no. He _is_ handsome, just not to her. Well, he is, it's just...

Ugh. Forget it.

But you know who is gorgeous and also devious? That's right: Lola. She fits the bill pretty well. Lisa's nonsensical rant kind of makes sense every now and then. She's a genius so there so surprise that she'd be right, but going as far out as to call one of them a danger was a bit too much. Lily shook her head. She needed to stop spending so much time with Lisa.

Lily opened Lincoln's door and her eyes went wide. Lincoln was sitting backwards on his seat, his arms resting calmly on the top rail with his phone in his hand and his plain face buried in the screen. The tangled rope ran around his feet like a dead snake. He looked away from his phone and both Lily and Lincoln made eye contact.

In a heartbeat, Lily slammed the door shut and rested her forehead on the cold, wooden door. Her heart must've jumped without her noticing cuz she was suddenly out of breath. Calm down, Calm down. Lisa said they tied him up, but he didn't look tied up. No, he was the opposite of tied up.

He was untied. And he didn't look mad either.

Right?

She opened the door and peaked in real quick. She looked at Lincoln's features and, in fact, he didn't look mad. Lincoln meet Lily's eyes and opened his mouth to talk, but Lily pulled out and closed the door again.

She buried her face in her hands and groaned. He's totally gonna kill them. Maybe he _was_ crazy. It made no sense though. He wasn't mad, or at least didn't look it, but that's what scared her the most. What was she even freaking out over? When Lisa told her about what happened, her first instinct was to let him loose, but now that he is, now what?

It might've seemed like a dick move, but she was going to bargain with him. ' _I'll let you out if you promise not to get pissed at our sisters,_ '

You know, that kind of thing. She let out a low sigh that sounded more like a whine. She closed her eyes, opened the door, and walked in. She gently closed the door behind her and rested her back against the door. She opened her eyes hesitantly and met Lincoln's eyes. His mouth was a slash and his brow was raised.

"You done?" Lincoln asked.

"How… how did you get out?" Lily ignored his question. Lincoln looked off to his desk where a pair of red scissors rested. He nodded at it and Lily noticed. Then Lincoln looked at all his scattered junk, marveling over how much interest he lost in all his silly stuff.

"You'd think the last place they would try locking me up is in the one place I know the best," He chuckled. "But even they're too stupid to know that."

"Are you… mad?" Lily asked, her voice just above a whisper. Lincoln shrugged.

"I was," He rested his chin on his arm, his eyes landed on the floor and his cheeks puffed out like a pouting child. "But not anymore."

"Oh," was all Lily could say. A moment of silence passed but it was interrupted by a burst of bubbly laughter. Both Lily and Lincoln lifted their head and fixed their ears on the noise. A girlish shriek ripped through the house and then there was a painful thud. Then silence followed again.

Lincoln let out a dry chuckle that sounded more like ridicule than amusement. His eyes met with Lily's and he shrugged again. He rested his cheek on his arm and looked like he was about to sleep on the chair.

"Don't you think you should, I don't know, stop them?" Lily asked.

"Nah, I'm just gonna let them be," Lincoln responded lazily. He flopped his head towards his bed like a fish out of water. He looked at his soft mattress, warm blankets, and cloudy pillow. His lids grew heavy and he suddenly felt drowsy. "Besides… I think I'm done."

"Done?" Lily echoed. Lincoln nodded his head.

"Yeah," Lincoln responded. "I'm done trying. I'm just going to wait 'til mom and dad get back. They'll deal with it."

"What?" Lily burst out. "No, no. They're tearing up the living room a-and Lori's still… old. Mom and dad are gonna freak out."

There was a minute of heavy silence. Distant laughter ran across the halls and crept into his room. It was mocking him. The joy and happiness was jabbing at his chest, his stomach turned as if he was ill, and his head felt extremely light. He was a bit jealous. If he didn't care like them, would him and his sisters be closer than ever? Would they actually like him?

Nah, he didn't care about that stuff anymore.

"Is Lisa working on that antidote?" Lincoln asked, his words monotone and lifeless.

"N-no," Lily shook her head. "I'm not sure."

Another small round of quite.

"Huh," Lincoln sighed.

"Please, Lincoln," Lily whined. "You gotta do something."

"Ugh, what do you want from me?" Lincoln raised his voice out of anger but was too lazy to even move his body. He kept his head hung and his eyes on his bed. "There's no pleasing you guys. Your all gonna hate my guts no matter what I do."

"We don't hate you," Lily said softly. Lincoln let out a dry laugh that sounded genuine.

"Right," He said sarcastically.

"I'm serious," Lily argued. "We don't hate you."

"Then what about this, huh?" He waved a passive hand over the chair like magic and then at the rope at his feet.

"I didn't-" Lily choked on her words. "They're just a little mad is all."

" _This_ isn't a little," Lincoln shot up from his chair and looked at Lily with an angry scowl. His eyes were sharp and his brows pinched.

His words grew sharper and his voice seemed more deadly. Lily felt a small pang of cold fear run through her chest. It was a rarity for Lincoln to get mad or yell at her, but when he did, it sank in pretty deep. She didn't like arguing with Lincoln cuz she never liked getting him mad or having him get mad at anyone. Lincoln was best when he was calm and relaxed like a resting bear: poke it enough and it'll kill you. She never understood how the other's can keep acting the way they do. If Lincoln yelled at her all the time for the dumb stuff she does, then she'd be a completely different person. Her whole personality and character would be chiseled out of marble, having Lincoln shape her out any way he saw fit. Or maybe like a soldier. She'd be firm and cold. Her face would be sharp and her emotions would be stoic.

Disciplined, that's how she would be. And that's exactly how she turned out. She completely forgot why Lincoln got mad at her, probably spilled some paint on the rug or something, but that was the last time she made any mistake because truth be told, Lincoln was pretty scary. She never understood how her sisters couldn't clean up their act. She did it pretty easily.

Lincoln sighed in defeat. He slouched and rested his head on the chair again.

"You guys hate me," Lincoln repeated, his face fell and his eyes dropped to the floor. An almost cartoonish frown was plastered across his face. Kinda like Eeyore.

Lily gave a moment to collect herself and let her heart calm down. She held her hands behind her back and leaned tighter against the door. Her head was hung and her big eyes shimmered faintly. She was like a small puppy experiencing shame for the first time. When she looked back at Lincoln, she noticed that he was hurt.

She looked back down to her feet and mustered up the courage to talk.

"Well," Lily said softly, but it was enough to catch his ears. " _I_ don't hate you."

Lincoln looked up at her with a perplexed face. They stared at each other for a second until a gentle smile stretched across Lincoln's face. Lily gave off a delicate smile in return. Lincoln broke contact, looked off to the side, and rose up from the chair. He strolled over to his bed and sat down with a humph. He looked at Lily and patted the vacant spot beside him. She walked over shyly, but when she sat on his bed, she quickly found comfort in the awful noise coming from outside.

Lincoln sighed blissfully and dipped his head back. He looked up at the ceiling and smiled again. He felt like there was endless space just above him, but he knew it was just some idiotic fantasizing.

"Have I ever told you that you were always my favorite?" Lincoln spat out.

"No," he hadn't, but Lily knew it. And despite what the others thought about Lincoln, it felt very nice having some kind of pride over those words.

"Well, you are," Lincoln said awkwardly. "I just never said it cuz you know how the others get."

Lily giggled. Yeah, she knew very well how her sister got. She was observant, attentive, and smart. She took note and memorized every little quirk about her sisters. She knew how they functioned and what worked. In short, she knew how to deal with her sisters. Much like Lincoln.

"Yeah, I know," Lily said.

The haughty laughter of her sisters flowed into the empty silence of Lincoln's room. He groaned, rolled his eyes and threw himself back. He laid in his soft bed with his arms spread out and his legs dangling over the side. Lily looked at him as if she was observing an animal. His eyes were closed and his breathing was paced smoothly. His silky, snowy hair seemed… playable.

She never really thought much about Lincoln's hair, but for some reason she wanted to run her hands through it. It seemed silly, but still. He never really saw his hair as anything important and she didn't either. It was something he was used to already, but she awed at it when she realized that being born with silver hair is a rarity. It was cool. She sometimes wished she was born with white hair. It'd be like she was sketched out of a fairy tale. She'd look beautiful and elegant like a snowflake. The good kind at least.

She smiled at the thought, her dangling legs kicking back and forth in wishful thinking. Her smile fell and she turned to her brother.

"Hey," Lily called. Lincoln responded with a low moan. "Why do you hate us?"

Lincoln's eyes flew open and he looked at Lily. He shot up halfway and rested his weight on his elbows. Lily looked at him with a raised brow and he stared back at her with a mix of worry and shame.

"I don't hate you," Lincoln said quickly.

"Then why do you hate them?" Lily asked.

"I-" Lincoln looked avoided her eyes. He sighed and dropped himself back onto his bed. "I don't."

Lily looked at him with a stoic look that said she didn't believe him.

"It tough, that's all," Lincoln said. He covered his face with his hands and rubbed his eyes. "Believe me, if you were in my shoes, you'd be just like me. I know that I can be mean and aggressive at times, but I have to." Lincoln giggled and looked at Lily. "I tried playing the nice guy, but that didn't work out. You guys didn't take me seriously so I had to change."

Lincoln dipped his head back and looked up at the ceiling. Damn, he was sleepy. He was too tired to even move. The day was just setting, but he was ready to call it a day. He just needed to wait 'til mom and dad get back. Mom did say to call them if anything happened. Maybe he should call them back. Actually, no. That's a bad idea. They'd be mad as hell despite all the concern and worry they showed before they left. Besides, they're gonna get pissed when they see the huge mess in the living room and Lori's… problem. Whatever. He didn't care anymore. Everything'll be fine as long as he has nothing to worry about anymore. He didn't care about his little privileges or his nice allowance anymore. He surrendered a large chunk of his childhood just so he can take care of his sisters and it crushed his spirits. He was still an eleven-year-old kid, but he had the mentality of a grumpy old man.

Damn. And he thought being a big brother would be a nice thing. When Lori was born, he was the happiest kid in the world, but then another came, then another and another. He _would_ wish that his parents stopped when Lori was born, but then Lily wouldn't have been born. She was the last and the best sisters to grace the home of the Louds. And to be completely honest, Lincoln felt that all his pain and stress was almost worth it as long as Lily was there.

Almost.

Lincoln felt a heavy weight land on his arm. He looked to his side and saw Lily laying down beside him. She rested on her side, her soft head on his arm and her body curled up into a ball. Her eyes were closed and small strands of hair fell over her face. Her chest rose and fell at a steady pace. Lincoln shot a quick smirk and then dropped his head back onto his bed.

The laughter and crashing of the booming noise seemed faint and mute. None of it mattered, because all the crap and hate that his sisters throw at him was nothing compared to small, sweet moments like this. As long as Lily's still best sister, all the suffering was definitely worth it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Took me a while to make this one, but whatever. I know I haven't made it clear, but Lily is the same age as her other sisters, so like, 6 or something. I didn't really plan on having her aged up since she was already young, but then I felt like she would be the only sister Lincoln would like in this fic and I really didn't want to have her making annoying baby noises all throughout the fic. I really want to finish this fic soon and start working on another story that's more mature, but I don't want the next few chapters to seemed rushed or anything. I'll figure out what to do. Other than that, review or follow, and enjoy**

* * *

Lincoln's eyes fluttered open and a dreadful moan escaped his lips. His head felt light and his face hot. He brought a hand up to his eyes and wiped away the sleep that was still left. A faint gasp brought his attention to his side. Lily was out cold. She looked peaceful and somewhat angelic. She was like a little bunny. Well, besides the snoring. No, wait. She's not snoring, just breathing really heavily. Lincoln looked at the clock sitting on his desk. The red, neon numbers flashed brightly: 8:37 p.m.

Lincoln groaned. He pressed his hands tightly against his eyes and dropped his heavy head back onto the bed. He'd hoped that sleeping would pass the time far more quickly than sitting on that damned chair and simply waiting. All he wanted was for the days to pass by like seconds.

Sleep.

He just needed to sleep more and get this day over with like he first planned on doing, but the problem was that he felt completely well-rested. How long was he out? Four hours, maybe five. Not a single cell in his body felt drowsy or tired. Damn, he felt good. I mean, _really_ good. On any other day, he might've gone out and done something productive, but right now he wanted to do anything but that. And it's not like he could get up and out of his room. If his sisters saw him walking around, they would gang up on him again and tie him back up, then he'd get out and ultimately end up back at square one. So, why go through all that when he could just avoid all the repetitive stuff and stay where he was.

Then again, the last thing he wanted to do was waste his time… with so much time. He was never a kid that can do absolutely nothing. He was impatient and persistent (he can thank his sisters for that), but when you have so much time on your hands and nothing to do, you start to realize how much of it you actually waste. Lincoln is grateful for all the little distractions that keep his thoughts straight and focused or otherwise he would constantly think about his impending doom that was slithering closer and closer with every minute that passes by. And the only thing that's been keeping him really distracted the most is his sisters.

…

Not like he's saying he's grateful for his sisters or anything. They've wasted a great portion of his youth. They took away an important part of his personality and forced him to be ' _mature'_ and ' _grown-up'_ and for that he'll never forgive them, but it wasn't something to dwell on. I mean, at least he forgot he was a complete dork. He felt a wave of chills run down his back after looking around at all the crap in his room.

The comic books that were stacked up on his desk and superhero posters stuck to his wall made him feel like a different person. Looking at the tiny robot and monster figurines made him remember the time and effort he put into putting the pieces together himself. The first one he ever built was a model of an old vintage plane and he remembered hating every minute assembling it. His dad gave it to him cuz that was one of his hobbies or something when he was younger. Dad probably thought that Lincoln would find the same spark of interest as he had, but there was a slight difference: The plane model was advanced as fuck.

Detailed, I mean.

Lincoln wasted about a month working on that little plane, spent countless hours working with his dexterous hands and sharp eyes, losing tiny pieces and eventually finding them, but he finished that damned plan by himself with his chin up and pride intake. Then he hung it up above his drawer and completely forgot about it.

There was a Muscle Fish clock hanging on his wall that ticked at a constant tempo. You wouldn't believe how much of a fool he felt like when he realized he had two clocks; a standard digital clock and that weird fish clock. And you'd think that Lincoln would have thrown out the fish clock when he did, but he forgot. He kept forgetting and forgetting until he realized again several months later. Right now.

Was he going to throw it out this time, though?

Let's be honest, of course he wasn't. He could tell himself, write it down on his arm, and take just about every step to throw out that clock but he'd just forget. And it wasn't that his memory was terrible or that he was lazy. No, it was the distractions. Those brats would be there in his every waking moment and in his mind until the very last second before sleep. Day in and day out, it would always be them, them and _nothing_ but them. What would they like to eat? What would they like to do? What to play? What to watch?

Lincoln was lenient. Very lenient. He would let his sisters have and do whatever they want. The thing about being a pushover, though, is that no one takes you seriously. And when kids don't take you seriously, then they can do just about anything they want. Well, that was until he snapped. Lincoln did a complete one-eighty and altered his attitude. He was much more commanding, more forceful and cruel.

'I don't care if you want play time outside, you're staying indoors or I'm literally gonna twist your spine into a knot', 'either you all decide which movie you want to watch or _I_ do', 'I don't care if you want chicken nuggets, I'm fucking making mac and cheese and nobody's going to say otherwise.'

But he had only himself to blame. He was the one who actually volunteered to babysit his sisters in the first place. His parents _were going_ to pay some poor teenager to do it, but Lincoln had other plans. He wanted to show his parents that he was old enough for such a responsibility, but in actuality, he just wanted the house all to himself and some cash. His plan was to bring over Clyde and some friends when his parents were out so they can hang out and have fun, but his sisters whined and bothered them to the point of irritation. It got so bad that not even Clyde wanted to visit anymore. He didn't blame him, though. His sisters were definitely a piece of work. Now, if Lincoln wanted to hang out with his friends, it had to be at one of their houses, but he was so busy taking care of his sisters or was so tired that all he wanted to do was sleep.

Ugh, It was a curse, truly.

Lincoln felt the warmth of his blankets seeping through his back. His bed was as soft as a cloud, but his body was a stiff rock. His limbs moved with force and his bones felt delicate. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. His lungs filled and his chest grew tight. Lincoln's heart pounded against his chest desperately, then Lincoln sighed. He opened his eyes and looked up at the blank ceiling. He blinked a couple times almost as if he wasn't believing how _bland_ everything was.

He looked off to his side and saw Lily resting peacefully. His heart fluttered and a tiny smile touched his features. A wave of loving warmth drenched over his body. Looking at her made him feel… something.

Um, something nice. Something that's so hard to grasp. His heart felt warm. And he felt relaxed. His mind was blank and nothing else mattered. It was like sleeping on a boat.

No, _what_? No, no.

It's like… floating in a pool of water. Just laying there and letting the water carry you. It doesn't matter if you sink or if your skin gets wrinkly. When the roaring waves crash over your face and that salty water touches your tongue, or if you drift off a thousand miles into the open sea, it just doesn't matter because it feels so… good.

 _Damn it_! It's kinda hard to explain, but he likes it.

Oh, wait a minute.

You know how when you're at someone else's house and there's a pet there that sits next to you or sits on you instead of going to literally _anyone_ else. It makes you feel trusted. Because once that dog sits on you, or that cat, or a bird, or literally any other pet, it doesn't matter if it's your pet or not, you'll take care of it like it's your child.

This feeling is probably the same reason why people love the cold because when you're freezing and dying, it makes every bit of warmth feel welcoming. When you're chilly and your teeth are clattering, you _want_ to feel snug and cozy. You _want_ those warm blankets to wrap around your body and you _want_ that hot chocolate to burn in your hands. Because when everything is cold, it makes the warm stuff feel so much better.

People-

Um, people like the rain because it's so strange, so silly and abstract. There's no other weather that makes everything so… blue and grey. A navy blue that swallows everything around you and coats the world with mist that's so close yet so far. The feeling of being trapped indoors when water is _literally_ falling from the sky is so therapeutic, b-because-

Because…

It's nice.

The same goes for the stars. And not those little tinkles in the sky above a big city. No, no. When you look up at the desolate, black sky and see the stars light up the vast darkness of space and see colors and shapes that have never been seen before, then it's a feeling like no other.

Rain!

Rain makes all the mundane, predictable, and bland stuff so charming. That's what Lily makes him feel. When you look out the window on a normal, sunny day, then it's the same old same old. But when it's raining, it feels like you can just stare out for hours. You look and make out every detail as if it's new. No one would sit and look out a window when it's just _another_ day. Of course not. No one ever fully realizes how powerful the rain is. It's almost scary.

Rain can range from little sprinkles of water from the sky to raging storms. Then in a couple of minutes, the whole streets flood and no one can stop it. People control so much and do so much, but the power of nature will always be uncontrollable.

And that's what Lily is to him.

Lily is rain, because no matter how much crap and suffering his sisters make him go through, no matter what they do or how much they get away with, Lily will always be powerful.

Lily _is_ the cold. She _is_ the stars.

She's that loving pet, the boat, the rain, the ocean, everything!

She's everything 'cuz, n-no one can _ever_ make him feel all those emotions at once, that swelling in his chest…

Happiness.

She makes him happy.

Huh… ain't that a kick in the head.

Lincoln's stomach twisted and rumbled obnoxiously in the deafening quiet. Ugh, it feels like he hasn't eaten anything all day…

Has he?

Whatever. He wanted something to munch on. Maybe that leftover crap he gave the kids earlier or a sandwich. Yeah, that sounded good, but he couldn't even take a step outside of his room without starting a riot. He turned over to Lily and his mind pulled back and forth on the idea of having her go instead, but then again he didn't want to bother her. Well, maybe it wouldn't be _too_ much to ask; He _was_ stuck in his room after all. Eh, nevermind, he'll wait 'til she wakes up. After all, he was hungry, not starving.

…

It's quiet outside. Why's it so quiet?

…

Oh shit.

He turned over to Lily, reached out and gently wrapped a hand around her shoulder. He shook her a bit, waited, and did it again until she whined and stirred. She turned her head away from the light and shut her eyes tightly. Lincoln kept shaking her despite telling himself differently.

"Hey," Lincoln hissed out and whispered. "Hey, Lily, wake up,"

Her eyes flew open in a panic at the alarm of Lincoln's voice. Her mind was still foggy and a couple steps behind, but she was up and at 'em.

"W-what happened?" She said in slurred speech. "What's wrong?"

"Can you… um," Lincoln stopped and thought for a quick second. "Can you go get me something to eat. I'm a bit hungry." Lincoln chuckled nervously.

Lily lifted herself and rested on her elbows. Her eyes were squinted and she had a brow raised. Her hair was unkempt and she looked confused. Her heavy head leaned back dangerously like she was going to plop herself back into bed, but she nodded sluggishly instead.

"Um, yeah, sure." Lily lifted her weight and pushed herself out of bed. She landed on gentle feet and her legs almost gave out under her. Her skirt was roughed up and her shirt was wrinkled. She groaned, patted down her clothes as flat as she could, then turned back to her older brother with that same half-awake scowl.

"What do you want?" She spat out. Even though she was clouded in drowsiness, she knew it sounded crude coming out of her mouth. She kicked herself on the back and said with a sweet voice, "Some yogurt? Cookies?"

"Um, yeah." He cursed himself. "An apple's fine."

"Okay," Lily said softly. She walked over to the door and cracked it slightly open. She peeked out, and when she didn't see any of her sisters, she slithered through the open door like a snake. Lincoln was alone in his room, hopefully worrying over nothing. Lily shut the door behind her and stared down the empty hall.

She let out a pitiful cry.

She didn't like being woken up from her sleep. Her face felt a thousand pounds heavier and her body felt as weak as glass, but whatever. She was a doer. The moment her eyes open from her slumber, she can get up and do anything without thinking. She was like a computer. It's helpful at times, but that doesn't mean she likes it. One plus from her sudden sleep ambition is that she'll do whatever it takes to go back to bed. Even if it means getting an apple for her brother just so she can go back to sleep in his surprisingly comfortable bed. God, it was like laying down in a hoard of sheep.

A flash of light under her and Lisa's bedroom door caught her attention. She stood there and stared for a second, wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her, but then light flickered again. She heard a high pitched zap followed by a flurry of squealing. It sounded like nasty screws that screamed under its own rust. Lily shook her head in disbelief and rolled her eyes. Lisa was always working. Lily wanted to be kind of like Lisa in the fact that she loves doing what she was does, but not to the extent that it's literally all you do.

Lisa loves science. Lisa _is_ science and there's nothing else to it. There's so much respect you get and receive from that alone, but for Lily, that wasn't satisfying at all. Lisa can burn herself out trying to make herself as successful as humanly possible, but it'd be all worthless if she surrendered the fun and pleasures of living in the process. And yet, much like Lisa, Lily was ambitious, but it truly doesn't matter what Lily becomes in the future, as long as she's happy then that's all that matters.

The least Lily hoped for was that Lisa was finding a way to turn Lori back to her normal self, but it all really depends on Lisa. If Lily is willing to share one of Lisa's greatest faults then it's that her genius sister isn't very fond of being told what to do. Even if it's for the very best. Her stubbornness is a double-edged sword that either makes her look good when she's right or completely foolish when she's wrong. And believe me, Lisa isn't always right. Only when it counts does she show her smart.

Like, did you know that Lisa still believes in Santa Claus? Crazy right? But at the same time, she doesn't believe God exists or that there's an afterlife. It's a bit odd since she uses the obvious ' _there's no real evidence God exists'_ thing, but she strings up this whole theory on how it's possible that a fat, jolly man can live in the frosting land of the North Pole and still manage to deliver presents in a single night. And it's silly 'cuz Lisa's never seen God before and there's no real way to prove an afterlife. She's also never seen Santa Claus, but then presents magically appear Christmas morning and she's fixed with the idea that ''it was Santa Claus. Who else could it have been.'

Who else could've done it, right?

Lisa's weird but smart. It doesn't matter what Lisa believes in, whether it be the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, or God, 'cuz she'll always be the genius. Too bad she's not capable enough to change Lori back.

I mean, what did she even do to her? Give her a weird drink? Morphed her body with her odd experiments? Who knows. Lori just showed up all grown up and no one batted an eye. Lily was mostly baffled at the fact that Lisa would use her sister as an experiment despite the obvious _Roommate Rules_ (which she'll have a serious talk with her about later), and also with how gorgeous Lori looked. I mean, Lori's absolutely stunning. Too bad her attitude isn't as graceful as her looks.

Lily's a bit pleased with the way Lori looks, though. She doesn't know much about genetics, DNA, and all that jazz, but she knows enough that her body has the capability of beauty and it made her a bit happy knowing that she'll grow into a dazzling, lovely woman.

HA, not like she isn't already.

Lily walked carefully down the stairs and when her gaze fell upon the empty living room, her brows pinched and her curiosity rose. Everything was left in the exact dirty mess that it was in. Dirt was everywhere, torn shirts coated the sofa like a thin sheet, and stains on the wall dripped fresh and wet. The TV chattered on with whatever nonsense that was playing and terrible obnoxious whispering was coming from the kitchen with such haste and worry that even Lily was hesitant in approaching. The babbling was hushed yet defined enough for her to make out words.

"Keep your head up," Lily heard Lori say from around the dining room. An outbreak of disapproval and arguing surged through the air.

"No, don't," She heard Lana say. "You're just gonna make it worse."

"Is it supposed to be bleeding for this long?" Leni asked.

Lily's eyes widened in surprise at the mention of blood. She slithered quickly to the threshold of the dining room and peaked, but saw that it was empty. Her eyes shot to the kitchen and saw that everyone was huddled around the sink. They all talked over each other, all telling the other what to do and hearing sounds of worry and concern.

"I said keep your head up," Lori ordered again.

Lily walked in and saw Lori, Leni, Lana, and Lynn huddled in front of the sink; Luan was in the corner with her guilty expression and a warm hand rubbing up and down her cold arm. Lynn had her face in the sink and her hands firmly secured around the icy counter. Lori had her hands under Lynn's chin, trying to lift up her head while the others watched cautiously. Leni rubbed Lynn's back smoothly, providing as much comfort as possible. Lana hid behind Lori and held onto her leg with concern written all over her face. Lynn kept her face just above the faucet while water flowed out calmly and blood ran down her nose at a constant pace.

"Lynn," Lori growled. "Lift your head, damn it."

"No, that's bad," Lynn quickly muttered through her teeth.

"Bullshit," Lori shouted. "Just do what I say."

"No," Lynn barked and kept her face straight above the sink.

The light crimson coated her upper lip like terrible lipstick and tickled as it trickled down to her chin. And she has the decency to tell everyone to stay calm. Almost like she hasn't been bleeding for 5 minutes straight. I mean, the whole sink bowl looks like a murder scene. Lily's heart dropped at the sight of it all.

"Oh my God," Lily spat out. "What happened?"

Everyone except Lynn snapped their focus over to Lily and she suddenly felt like she was put on the spot. A shiver ran down her spine at the pained looks that her sisters were giving her. Everyone went silent and didn't dare say a word nor make a sound. It seemed all of them were paralyzed in fear at the mere thought of explaining themselves. Lily looked over at each one of her sisters, like her sight alone was demanding an answer, but they all turned away in shame. It felt like they were all cowering under her might and it made her feel… powerful. Lynn lifted her head and looked at Lily from the corner of her eyes.

"Nothing," Lynn moaned.

Lily recoiled in surprise. Hah, unbelievable. As if Lynn was in any position to say she was alright. Her whole face was covered in blood. Well, it was only dripping from her nose, but it puddled around her mouth and chin so much that it made her look insane. Lori focused back on Lynn but showed more mercy and care than she did before and Leni kept rubbing her back. Lana stayed closed to Lori and tried to hide behind Lori's legs again, but she made eye contact with Lily and she froze.

"Lana," Lily called. Lana jumped in shock.

"Uh," Lana's voice trembled. "Y-yeah?"

"What happened?" Lily asked with the same deadly tone of an accusing mother.

"I, uh," Lana's body went stiff and she looked off to the side with her wide eyes. "I- I don't know."

Lily squinted her eyes and a pang of rage lit up in her chest. Everyone else was either lying or ignoring her and she was only trying to help. What was their deal? Why weren't they telling her anything? It's not like she was going to kill them or anything. Or maybe they were scared that she'd snitch on their parents or Lincoln, but she's never done that. She's not like that, but then again she's never been too much like her sisters. She's never felt that she's been in the tight inner circle that all of them share. When something crazy or funny happens, she just happens to be there with them. She sometimes never understands their weird talk.

Like, they all call Luna Lamp from time to time and she doesn't know why. And they always talk about the garage and raccoons or whatever, but she never understood what it meant. They also like calling Lincoln by some awful nickname when he's mad. Bunny… bunny boy, was it? Something like that. She didn't know where that came from and they never explained it to her. It feels like everything they say is an inside joke and it really bothers her 'cuz they just pretend that Lily doesn't exist.

"It was me," Luan murmured from the corner.

Lily looked over at her. Luan had her head hung and her eyes stuck to the floor like glue. Her dour face betrayed her always happy, cheerful ways. Luan looked more fragile and smaller than she usually did. She looked as scared and vulnerable as a fawn. Her eyes were gloomy and a dark cloud hung over her head.

"What happened?" Lily asked again. Luan kept her head low and her voice was just above a whisper.

"It was just a prank. I thought it was going to be funny. I-I didn't think she was going to get hurt," Luan said.

" _Funny_ ," Lynn mumbled sarcastically above the hissing sink water. Lily didn't know what to do. Was she supposed to yell at Luan? No, she had no time to be mad. She needed to cover the bleeding. No, wait. That's for cuts and scrapes. Ugh, doesn't matter. Lynn's bleeding everywhere and it's gross.

"I'll go get some paper towels. Someone get some ice." Lily stated.

Good thing no one thought much when she left the kitchen nonchalantly. She marched up the stairs two steps at a time and let her heavy breaths fill her empty ears when she was finally at the top. Her instinct led her toward Lincoln's room. Her legs moved on their own. Without thinking, she turned the knob and walked in.

Lincoln was laying down on his bed with his intertwined fingers resting on his chest like a dead man in a funeral. His eyes were pointed to the ceiling but it seemed like he was looking past it. His legs dangled over the edge of his bed and his feet swayed back and forth ever so gently. He looked at Lily from the corner of his eyes, waiting for her to continue with invisible dread rising in his chest, but not trying to show any kind of concern whatsoever.

"Lynn's bleeding a lot," Lily said. Lincoln's eyes widened and he shot up from his bed in a flash.

"What?" Lincoln shouted in a panic. "From where?"

"Her nose," Lily said.

Lincoln calmed down and let his racing heart cooled down for a bit. Well, he tried, but the terror flowing through his heart was bashing against his chest like the beating of drums. Jesus Christ, forget about Mom and Dad lecturing the hell out of him, they were literally gonna kill him. There have only been a few rare occasions were his parents caught his sisters with slight injuries and believe me when I tell you that they flipped the hell out. Imagine how they'll get when they found out Lynn broke her nose?

Wait.

"Did Lynn break her nose?" Lincoln asked by the end of his breath, hoping for the best. He knew his sisters were dumb, but he didn't know they were dumb enough to hurt themselves.

"I don't know," Lily replied.

Alright, fuck that noise. Lincoln might've not liked taking care of his sisters, but he _never_ let any of them get hurt without him covering it up perfectly. And he wasn't going to start now. It doesn't matter to him if they all gang up and tie him up again, as long as there isn't any blood-stained _anything_ inside the house. He got up and his legs moved so naturally that it felt like nothing. His mind went into autopilot and his body felt completely numb. Lily looked up and tried to get a glimpse at his face, thinking he was mad, but she only traced his swift movement as he walked out of his room in long strides. After shaking herself out of her idiotic stupor, she followed closely behind her brother, but not too close.

Lincoln stormed his way down the stairs and looked at the vacant living room. He ignored the mess, turned and walked into the dining room like he knew exactly where he was going. He walked into the kitchen and saw some of his sisters huddled around the sink like a bunch of cavemen around a fire. His sisters didn't even know he was standing there with a deadly glare. The corner of his lip turned up in revulsion at the poor sight in front of him.

Lynn had her whole face over the sink while blood dropped from her chin at a steady tempo.

Lori had her hand under Lynn's chin as blood trickled between the cracks of her fingers.

Lana held a small pack of ice in her hands and juggled it over the other like she was playing a silly game of hot potato.

And Luan hung her head in the corner like a dope.

"Hey," Lincoln shouted with the roar of a lion. "What the hell happened?"

Everyone went dead silent and turned over to where Lincoln was standing. Lynn saw him from the corner of her eyes, sighed in defeat and cursed under her breath. Everyone stiffened up like a wooden board and ran their eyes over his figure, but he didn't falter or change like Lily did. Their looks were distant, void of strength like the bravery or rage they showed before. At that moment, they were so worried over their little problem that there was no room to hate or be scared of Lincoln. There was only the matter at hand and even that proved too much for them to handle. And yet, they couldn't find it in any of themselves to talk. The lack of response made Lincoln's blood boil.

Disgusting.

When did they become such a bunch of pussies? A minute ago they were acting like top shit and know they were too scared to even be in the same room as him. He never taught them to be persistent and cruel, he wishes he did, but with the same intent and words he preaches. If shouting and beating the shit out of them prevented them from being so cowardly and meek, then he'd have done it plenty of times. Right now, he was more disappointed than mad. Actually, they were both equal in passion. Sure, getting manhandled by his sisters made him angry, but seeing them act all shy and innocent poisoned his heart.

And where was that little cunt Lola?

If he was going to kill anyone then it'd be her. Bet she's up in her room giving her ego a nice stroke, brushing her hair, and painting her fatass toes. Huh, that was surprising seeing as only the good ones stayed in their rooms. Yeah, he knew there was a few that didn't want to screw him over and for that he was grateful. When they jumped his ass back upstairs, he got a good look at the ones who were there and those who weren't. And he was certain that Lisa, Luna, and Lily were the only ones who didn't betray him. Bless their hearts.

"It's my fault," Luan finally mumbled. She took responsibility for her actions and Lincoln honestly respected that, but saying it in his head was as far as he was going to go. He was very strict with the way he showed his gratitude; That being he hardly showed any at all.

Luan sniffled like she was going to cry, but Lincoln wasn't buying it. He realized a long time ago that each one of their sisters always does the pathetic whine, pouted lip, and glistening eyes trick to seem more somber and get it easier, but it didn't work on Lincoln. Not anymore, that is. The only one who doesn't do that is Lynn. She, unlike her sisters, has enough dignity to stand there and receive her punishment. She always tightens her lips with suppressed rage and hangs her head in shame while Lincoln, or sometimes Dad, tears her a new one.

Lincoln glared at Luan with disdain. This time, she had her head hung and nothing else. Ugh, she wasn't sorry. She stood tall and proud, not letting her mistake ruin her or appearing like she cared for the slightest. If someone wants to seem truly apologetic for something, then there's only one way for Lincoln to tell. And it's not apologizing. There's only so many times that someone can say _sorry_ over and over again before it becomes painfully redundant. I mean, look at Luan standing in the corner with _sorry_ hovering all around her, not knowing that it's completely meaningless. Then look at the others. Lori was trying to be the shot caller and was literally getting her hands dirty. Lana was there with ice in her hands and, despite how absurd she looked, it was a nice sentiment. Leni was comforting and tender like always. And Lynn was hurting.

"Was it another one of your stupid pranks?" Lincoln asked blandly. Luan nodded slowly. He shook his head. "Jesus Christ, you never fucking learning, huh?"

She really doesn't, though. Her pranks were always a light introduction to humor. Lincoln and the rest of her sisters never thought much of it since it was always little kiddy stuff like a whoopee cushion and electric buzzer, but as the years went by she got more elaborate and tricky with her pranks. Then she got devilish and evil. The worst thing she's ever done to him was wrap him up in plastic wrap while he was sleeping. He woke up in the dead of night needing to pee and that's when he saw the plastic.

He was irritated sure, but that wasn't the worst part. The thing about plastic wrap is that it's _tight_. Very tight. It squeezes your body like a snake and never loosens up no matter how much you struggle. Well, at first, Lincoln didn't think much about it. He thought he can get himself out. He thrashed and squirmed around for a good 5 minutes before tiring himself out, then it got really hard to breathe. His chest felt tight and the plastic wrap got tighter. He tried to control his breathing but it only came in short gasps. His lungs burned and his body screamed for freedom. Then he started hyperventilating. Long story short, one of his sisters woke up when he screamed for help. He forgot who it was, but they went and woke up Dad who had to cut Lincoln open like packed lunch. Then eventually everyone woke up and saw him breaking down. It was embarrassing, to say the least. He blamed Luan flat out, rightfully so, but she denied it with worry and shaky words. Mom and Dad took her side. Well, not really, they just didn't do anything about it.

But he did.

That afternoon, he roughed her up a bit. Some would say he beat the hell out of her, but he'd say he taught her a lesson. And a lesson well received 'cuz after that she never pranked him again. She was back to messing with everyone else no less than a week later, even though she made this dumbass promise to never do pranks or comedy ever again.

Luan's lips twisted and a pang of guilt ran through her chest like a cold breeze. Lincoln looked away and she suddenly felt empty.

"Alright," Lincoln walked over to Lynn and pushed Lori's hand away from under Lynn's chin with a firm wave. He stood next to Lynn, examining and thinking about what to do next, but also relishing in the pain she was in. "Lily get some paper towels." Lily ran over to the sink and opened the cabinet that was next to it. She pulled out the roll Bounty and tore a couple pieces out. She handed it to her brother and he smiled in return. He turned and looked at Lori, then to her hands, then turned over to Lana and saw the ice pack. He stuck out his hand and showed her his open palm.

"Give me that," Lincoln said. Lana did so without a word. Lincoln held the ice pack by the plastic cap and then turned to Lori. His gaze went back to her hands and grimaced at the sight of the yellowish, rust-colored blood. "Wash your hands."

Lori scurried beside Lynn, placed her hands below the flowing water and washed away the awful muck. Then she stepped away and left her hands wet. She had them up and they stood flimsy like wilting flowers. When she noticed water trickling to the floor, she dried her hands on her shorts before Lincoln noticed.

Lincoln stood beside Lynn and leaned in close to her ear. She felt unease with him so near and his hot breath running down her neck made her heart pound. He was like a predator, ready to strike, but waiting to see what she would do. She wanted to take a step away, but she needed to keep her bloody nose in the sink. Lincoln raised his hand and pointed at her nose. Lynn raised a brow and honestly didn't know what to do, but then she saw him inch his finger closer and poked her nose. Her mind flashed red and she flinched.

"Ah, what the fuck," Lynn cursed.

Lincoln wanted to smack her on the back of her head for cursing but kept his instincts from acting on its own. At least he knew that he actually needed the ice pack. He put the pack on the counter and paper towels next to it. Lynn flinched again.

"Put that on your nose and try to put some pressure on it," Lincoln commanded. "Try to cover the bleeding."

He stepped away from her and let Lynn do the work for herself. She was old enough to take care of herself and he was well aware that she knew how to deal with a nosebleed. She's been through worse. Back a couple years ago, she was in a junior soccer team that was only supposed to last during the summer. Lincoln was in charge of taking Lynn to and from the park so she can have her practice lessons. Then he sat there and waited under a shady tree. It was a drag, but Lincoln didn't mind it. He was used to getting the raw end of a deal, but at least his parents were paying him this time.

Well, it took him a while to finally realize that the coach was fucking _crazy_. He trained the kids like he was training a professional football team. He shouted at them and made them do some intense drills and let the kids drop each other during practice. And when they looked hurt, he just kept shouting at them. Lincoln would get a kick out of it, but then one day Lynn fell flat on her face and started bleeding from her nose. She freaked out and wanted some help, but the coach gave her hell.

'Fight it, Loud, fight it,' Lincoln remembered this middle-aged man shouting from across the field. 'You're a warrior, not a quitter! Are you a fucking quitter, Loud? Huh? Answer me, damn it?'

That got Lincoln pissed. He wanted to get up and bite that guys head off, but then he was surprised to see Lynn with fire in her eyes. Unlike all the other brats, she didn't falter or show any sign of restraint. Despite her courageous outlook on the situation, that day left a bitter taste in Lincoln's mouth. So, of course, he told his parents about it. And, of course, they didn't give a crap. But that as partly due to Lynn's attitude. They knew she wasn't a whiny loser like most kids, well, when it came to sports that is. When she was on the field, she had more pride than most kids her age and a fatass ego too. So, all in all, they let her keep going. It was only after she sprained her ankle that her parents finally took her out 'cuz, of course, she couldn't _Eye of the Tiger_ her way out of that one.

His attention went to his idle sisters who watched eagerly. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at them with his nose up and back straight. All that talk about complete surrender and giving up all meant nothing as he went back on his word. Fuck his parents finding out and fuck his sisters one-upping him.

He was going to make sure everything was just as Mom and Dad left it: with Lincoln in charge and the kids under his feet. A creepy, hellish smirk stretched across his face as his mind worked in all the fine details.

They might've gotten the best of him once, but that was all over and done with. He was going to make sure that they knew never to mess with him. Despite the numbers, he was the ruler, the one that everyone listened to, because no one else could do it so perfectly. In his heart, there was no room for mercy. If they hated him, then that'd be absolutely fine. He despised them just as much.

But their little back and forth brawling is futile 'cuz Lincoln is always going to win, whether they try fighting him one-on-one or seven-on-one.

And now that he has the upper hand again, he was going to make sure that he gives them hell.


End file.
